Violence has erupted in two of Ecuador's major prisons, resulting in the deaths of at least eight inmates and injuries to ten others. This marks a significant departure from a period of relative calm in the country's correctional facilities, which had been maintained following government-led interventions initiated by President Daniel Noboa.
Incidents took place at the El Inca Prison in Quito and at Latacunga Prison, one of Ecuador's largest correctional facilities, as reported by the National Service for Integral Attention to Private Persons of Freedom (SNAI).
Violence erupted in Ecuadorian prisons, resulting in the deaths of eight inmates, with four fatalities reported at the Inca prison and four at the Latacunga prison. Additionally, ten individuals were injured and received medical treatment, although the SNAI did not specify whether any of the victims were prison guards.
The penitentiary institution has confirmed that the individuals responsible for the massacres have been identified and will be transferred to El Encuentro, a maximum security prison constructed under the orders of President Daniel Noboa. The facility was designed in part by the prison model implemented by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
A recent internal report, obtained by journalist Karol Noroña, revealed disturbing allegations of violence within Ecuador's prison system. The report details incidents in Latacunga, where inmates were reportedly shot and another was discovered with clear signs of strangulation.
Mexico's National Service for Integral Care for Adult People Deprived of Freedom and Adolescents Offenders (SNAI) has issued a statement, which can be viewed in the accompanying image.
Investigations into the massacres have not yet revealed the motivations behind the attacks, but it is speculated that they may have been a coordinated effort by rival criminal organizations targeting members of the Los Choneros gang.
Incidents took place on the same day as Luisa González, a former presidential candidate of the Correist Movement Revolución Ciudadana, the primary opposition force to the Government of Noboa, which is led from a distance by former President Rafael Correa, who served from 2007 to 2017.
Interior Minister John Reimberg suggested a potential connection between the two incidents on the social media platform X, but did not offer any supporting evidence.
Two homicides occurred in prisons across the country on the same day that Luisa González, a representative of the RC, was taken into custody.
Ecuador will not permit organized crime or its political associates to undermine the authority of the government.
Ecuador's prison system has been plagued by a series of devastating massacres in recent years, serving as a focal point in the country's ongoing crisis of escalating criminal violence. Since 2021, approximately 600 inmates have lost their lives within the country's prisons, with the majority of fatalities resulting from clashes between rival gangs.
The government has linked the escalation of violence and insecurity in the country to gangs involved in illicit activities, including drug trafficking, extortion, and illegal mining. These groups have been deemed "terrorists" and their actions have been classified as an ongoing "internal armed conflict" since 2024.
Information from EFE.
