At least 12 people were killed Sunday in clashes at a jail in the southern part of Ecuador, a presidential spokesman said.
The riot at El Touri de Cuenca prison, which was still going on at midnight (Greek time), also resulted in ten other people being injured, according to the same source.
Ecuador has become increasingly confronted in recent years with bloody riots in prisons, which are generally considered by the authorities to be linked to organized crime gangs. 320 prisoners were killed in such incidents in 2021.
Interior Minister Patricio Carigio told reporters that the situation remained “not yet under control” despite the mobilization of 800 soldiers and police.
The incidents broke out yesterday around 01:30 (local time; 09:30 Greek time) in the highest security wing of the prison.
At noon, detainees and police were still visible on the roofs of prison buildings.
About 90 detainees were evacuated. The penitentiary authorities assured that there was no escape.
“One gang tried to take full control of the prison, but others resisted,” Interior Minister Carigio explained.
Ecuador has 65 prisons, with a nominal capacity of 30,000 places, but where the surplus population of inmates is at least 30%.
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