In Guayaquil, a clash among inmates at a prominent coastal prison left at least one person dead and several others injured. The incident occurred at the Guayaquil prison facility known as the Litoral Prison, operated under the National Comprehensive Care Service for Persons Deprived of Freedom, or SNAI. SNAI confirmed on Monday through a messaging update that one of the deprived of liberty transported to medical facilities had died. The cause of the altercation remains under investigation, and officials have cautioned that details may still evolve. [Cited from SNAI communications]
Social media chatter has circulated warnings about the events, with unverified reports suggesting there was an attempted confrontation involving the use of improvised explosive devices during the incident at the Guayas No. 1 Center for Deprivation of Freedom, commonly referred to as the Guayaquil Prison. Authorities have urged caution while confirming that security measures are being reviewed. [Cited from official statements]
Responding to the alert about CPL Guayas No. 1, SNAI stated that security protocols were activated and that clashes between prisoners were being addressed. The National Police indicated ongoing operations by special units both inside and outside the facility, and administrative staff were evacuated as a precaution. [Cited from official updates]
Confronting “organized crime”
Guillermo Rodriguez, the director of SNAI, issued a post noting another violent incident at CPL Guayas No. 1 and stressing that members of organized crime networks were involved. He added that the Police, Armed Forces, the Government Human Rights Secretariat, and the Ministry of Health are coordinating actions across their respective duties to restore order and protect inmates and staff. [Cited from SNAI statement]
Earlier in October, Ecuador has faced a series of deadly prison disturbances. On October 3, a deadly brawl at Cotopaxi No. 1 resulted in 16 deaths and 43 injuries, including Leandro Norero, who authorities say was a leading figure in the country’s drug-trafficking network. The clashes continued into the following day. In another incident at the same Guayaquil facility on October 5, 13 inmates were killed and 18 were wounded, marking the ninth prison massacre since 2020. On October 8, two inmates were found dead at a prison in Esmeraldas, near the northwest border with Colombia. Then, SNAI reported the discovery of more than 700 rifle bullets at the Guayaquil prison, with an unnamed police officer under investigation in connection with the finding. [Cited from SNAI and governmental briefings]
More than 100 deaths in 2022
Through this year, violent inmate deaths have surpassed 100, and the total since 2020 exceeds 450. Human rights groups have described the situation in Ecuador’s prisons as a form of mass violence or even genocide, arguing that the state has struggled to curb repeated massacres inside facilities. [Cited from human rights organizations and official assessments]
From the government’s end, authorities have pledged to implement recommendations issued by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights regarding the disturbing prison conditions. Officials attributed the violence to criminal gangs with reported connections to drug cartels and argued that illicit groups are attempting to seize control of multiple detention centers. [Cited from government communications]