Prisoner brawl leaves 15 dead in Ecuador

(CLO) A fight between prisoners left at least 15 people dead and 14 injured at Ecuador's largest prison, authorities said on Tuesday.

Litoral Prison in the coastal city of Guayaquil has been the site of frequent riots and mass killings, including one in 2021 that left 119 inmates dead.

In a statement, prison officials said police and military had been deployed to take control of the facility. Ecuador's Attorney General's Office said it was preparing to charge nine inmates with murder in connection with the violence.

A special forces vehicle enters Litoral prison after clashes left 15 inmates dead in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on November 12, 2024. Photo: AFP

Local media reported that helicopters could be seen flying over the prison as ambulances and relatives of inmates, some screaming in despair, rushed to the prison gates in an attempt to escape.

Ecuadorian prisons have become some of the most dangerous in South America due to overcrowding, with many inmates linked to drug traffickers in Colombia and Mexico. Many inmates are even heavily armed with weapons smuggled in from outside and continue to organize criminal activity behind bars.

Dozens of violent outbreaks in Ecuador's prisons have left more than 400 people dead since 2001. Ecuador recorded a record 47 homicides per 100,000 people in 2023, up from 6 homicides per 100,000 in 2018.

Huy Hoang (according to AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tu-nhan-hon-chien-khien-15-nguoi-thiet-mang-o-ecuador-post321110.html