Latest prison riot in Ecuador leaves 13 prisoners dead and two injured

Ecuador’s prison system has been going through a severe crisis since 2021. According to official data, since February 2021, over 400 prisoners have been killed in seven prison massacres

July 20, 2022 by Peoples Dispatch
Ecuador prison deaths
A new riot at the Bellavista Social Rehabilitation Center in Santo Domingo city in Ecuador on July 18 left thirteen inmates dead and two injured. (Photo: Rochex Rababel Robinson Bonilla/Twitter)

On Monday, July 18, a new riot was recorded at the Bellavista Social Rehabilitation Center in Santo Domingo city in Ecuador. In this latest episode of violent confrontation between rival gangs in the country’s prisons, thirteen inmates were killed and two were injured.

The National Comprehensive Care Service for Adults Deprived of Liberty (SNAI), the agency in charge of Ecuador’s penitentiaries, reported on Monday afternoon that “a fight broke out inside the center” and that “upon learning of this fact, the support of the National Police, Armed Forces, and Ministry of Public Health was immediately requested.” About two hours later, the SNAI reported that with the help of personnel from the National Police and the Armed Forces it managed to retake control of the prison, and that “unfortunately, Center staff currently reports 13 PPL (persons deprived of liberty) dead and 2 injured.” The SANI added that the Attorney General’s office would carry out a verification of the deceased and injured victims.

According to Ecuadorian newspaper El Comercio, clashes were also recorded in the El Inca prison, in the capital Quito. The situation was brought under control and apparently did not escalate.

In the past months, similar riots and fights have been recorded in both prisons. On April 25, a riot alert was generated in the El Inca prison. According to the Interior Ministry, 15 inmates were injured in that incident. Meanwhile, in the Santo Domingo prison, 44 prisoners were massacred and 13 were injured in a riot on May 9. The majority of them were killed with knives or sharp weapons in cells and wings. During the riot, 220 inmates escaped from the prison amid the chaos, although almost all of them were recaptured.

Ecuador’s prison system has been going through a severe crisis since 2021 due to riots and massacres of prisoners, resulting from clashes between rival drug trafficking gangs vying for control of prisons as well as territory and drug trafficking routes outside prisons. According to official data, since February 2021, over 400 prisoners have been killed in seven prison massacres.

Read more: No end in sight for Ecuador’s prison crisis

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has said that Ecuador’s prison system is affected by the abandonment of the state and the absence of a comprehensive policy, as well as the poor conditions for inmates.

The country’s prisons house about 33,900 inmates and exceed their maximum capacity by 12.5%, according to official figures.