a prisoner joined another intern during riots in a prison in Ecuador this Monday after departing attacked with an explosive launched from a drone, according to a statement by prison officials. The incident underscores the volatile conditions inside Ecuadorian penitentiaries and the evolving methods used by inmates to threaten security within facilities.
The events occurred at Sucumbíos prison, a facility in northern Ecuador adjacent to Colombia. The National Comprehensive Service for Persons Deprived of Liberty, known as SNAI, the government agency responsible for overseeing the country’s prisons, reported the disruption. Although the explosive material did not injure the immediate victim or significantly damage the infrastructure, the chaotic aftermath led to a surge of inmates gathering in one area, during which a prisoner fatally stabbed another with a knife. The incident reveals the high level of danger faced by both inmates and staff during periods of unrest.
Throughout the ongoing prison crisis that has persisted for about three years in Ecuador, there has been a notable pattern of violent acts, including attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with explosives to strike inside prison walls. This alarming tactic marks a shift in how violence is executed within facilities and points to the challenges authorities face in preventing such assaults while maintaining order and safety inside densely populated institutions.
Across Ecuadorian prisons, casualties have mounted. Since 2020, more than 450 prisoners have died in incidents connected to gang rivalries and attempts to seize control of prison centers and the surrounding areas. These massacres have underscored the struggle between rival criminal groups that operate within and around the prison system, often spilling into violence that affects staff, inmates, and the broader community. The scale of these fatalities has prompted wide-ranging concerns about the management and security of detention facilities across the country.
In recent months, national police and the armed forces have conducted extensive searches in several of Ecuador’s principal prisons. Reports indicate that large caches of weapons were discovered, including rifles, grenade launchers, hand grenades, and bulletproof vests, along with machetes and a range of edged weapons. The discoveries reflect a persistent arms problem within the prison system and the ongoing efforts by authorities to curb illicit activity and restore a sense of order amid ongoing disturbances and recruitment efforts by criminal networks.