Clashes in Ecuador prison leave 116 dead; drug cartels make jail a war zone
The Litoral Penitentiary, in the city of Guayaquil, is infamous as the most dangerous Ecuador prison, and it houses gangs linked to Mexican drugs cartel
Ecuador, the South American country, is witnessing turmoil in its prison. Rival gangs clashed with each other inside the country’s Litoral Penitentiary prison leaving at least 116 people dead. This makes it the worst prison violence in the history of the small nation.
The Litoral Penitentiary, in the city of Guayaquil, is infamous for being the most dangerous prison in the country. Most inmates are said to be those part of an Ecuadorean gang called Los Choneros, which is closely linked to Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa drugs cartel. Meanwhile, another Mexican criminal group named Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG) had been making efforts to establish ties with gangs in the country in their bid to grab control of drug smuggling routes from Ecuador to Central America from its Sinaloa rivals, said a BBC report.
Clashes erupted on Tuesday and five of the prison inmates ended up decapitated, while others were shot to death, reports quoting Ecuadorian officials have said. It is believed that the prison uprising was an aftereffect of a secret call by powerful Mexican drug trafficking gangs now operating in Ecuador.
Prison witnesses gun fights and hurling of grenades
The clashes witnessed the hurling of hand grenades across the prison compound. Ecuadorian police swing into action but around 400 police officials had to fight for hours to bring the situation under control.
But before the situation subsided the prison premises had been turned into a battleground, with blasts and gunshots filling the air. Bodies were strewn all around the place.
Ecuador prisons regular battle ground for drug cartels
Ecuador has always been a war scene when it comes to mafia clashes. Further, the prisons are, most of the time, the scenes of the clashes. The Litoral Penitentiary clashes are just the latest in the series of such clashes. Earlier, in similar clashes that occurred back in February as many 79 prisoners were killed. The latest killings surpassed that number, with official reports putting the number at 116. About 80 inmates have been injured.
The clashes also left the prison workers in jeopardy, with many of them trapped inside. Later, the police managed to rescue them. Soon after the news of the prison fights broke, Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency in the prison system. The prisons in Ecuador had earlier been reported as already full, with 30 per cent overcapacity.
