Ecuadorian prison clash kills at least 52 people

Quito, Ecuador-A clash broke out in Ecuador’s largest prison early Saturday, killing at least 52 prisoners and attacking prisons in recent violence.

Residents living near the prison in the coastal city of Guayaquil reported sustained shootings and hearing times of the explosion from inside the lockup. Police reported that 10 prisoners were also injured and explosives and guns were confiscated, according to the Associated Press.

A video on social media claiming to have come from inside the prison showed that the body was burnt and lying on the ground.

Prison violence is in the midst of a national state of emergency proclaimed by President Guiller Morasso in October, which empowers security forces to combat drug trafficking and other crimes.

Ecuadorian prisons are seeing a wave of brutal violent authorities resulting from prison gangs associated with international drug cartels fighting for control. At least 118 people were killed and 79 injured in a fight between gang members in Lithral prison in late September, officials said the worst prison slaughter in South America. Officials said at least five of the dead were found to be decapitated.

Outside the prison on Saturday, relatives of prisoners gathered for news of their loved ones.

‘This is enough. When do they stop killing? This is a prison, not a slaughterhouse, and they are humans, “said Francis Kachankai, 55, whose brother was in prison for eight months.

Some have called on Ecuadorian security forces to take control of the prison.

“What is (President Guillermo) Lasso waiting for? Is there more dead?” Said Maritza Vera, 62, whose son is a prisoner. “Have mercy, where are the human rights? I thought this would change, but it’s worse.”

There are 40,000 prisoners in Ecuadorian prisons, of which about 8,500 are held in prisons. According to prison service data, facilities are overcrowded by 55% at the national level and 62% in literary facilities.

Overall, Ecuadorian prisons have killed 230 people so far this year before the massacre on Saturday.

Ecuadorian prison clash kills at least 52 people

Source link Ecuadorian prison clash kills at least 52 people

The post Ecuadorian prison clash kills at least 52 people appeared first on Illinois News Today.