What we know about Ecuador’s new prison crisis that left 27 prisoners hanged over the weekend

“In Ecuador, the criminal organizations currently operating in the country had their origins in the prisons,” university professor and security expert Jorge Nuñez told BBC Mundo in 2023.

Other analysts say the construction of a maximum-security prison in the coastal state of Santa Elena is causing a resurgence in prison violence.

Many of the prison’s gang leaders have rejected the possibility of transfer to the prison, which is scheduled to open within the next few days and will house up to 800 prisoners considered extremely dangerous.

In October last year, Ecuador’s President Daniel Novoa declared a state of emergency in 10 of the country’s provinces, including El Oro, where Machala prison is located.

All this happened just days before Novoa’s proposed referendum was to be held in Ecuador on November 16th. It proposes, among other things, the establishment of US military bases in the country with the idea of ​​combating drug trafficking.

On Saturday night, a video began circulating on social networks showing an explosion inside Machala prison and cries for help.

At around 3 a.m. local time on Sunday, members of an elite police team entered the prison to quell a riot in one area.

The first death toll was reported there, with four people killed and several injured taken to local medical centers.

SNAI said the riot was caused by a “reorganization” by inmates in anticipation of eventual transfer to the new Santa Elena prison.

It was also reported that seven people were arrested as a result of the police response.

However, several hours later, SNAI issued a statement reporting that 27 bodies showing signs of hanging had been found.

“In connection with the events that took place this Sunday afternoon at the Machala Deprivation of Liberty Center, 27 deaths of persons deprived of liberty have been reported, among them suffocation and immediate death due to suspension,” the statement said.

SNAI also reported that forensic scientists are investigating the causes of these deaths.

After this report came to light, the Ecuadorian National Police and Armed Forces reiterated their determination to ensure security inside and outside the prison.

And the central government has confirmed that it will continue to transfer prisoners to a new maximum security prison in Santa Elena, despite the reluctance of some leaders of criminal gangs.

What happened in Machala is not unprecedented. The prison, located in the south of the country, can hold 800 prisoners, but local reports say it currently houses around 1,400.

On September 22, 14 people, including a prison guard, were killed and 14 others injured during gang clashes.

According to one of the police officers who took part in the prison recovery operation, a clash occurred between gangs from two different cell blocks.

The prison guard was killed in the gunfight. Additionally, several security guards were detained, their weapons taken away, and their hands and feet bound.

When police arrived at the scene to regain control, they discovered the bodies of 14 prisoners, many of whom were members of the criminal organizations Los Lobos and Los Choneros.

Authorities regained control, but other attacks later occurred at other prisons in the country.

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