Ecuador, state of emergency, violent clashes with dead and wounded

All prisons in Ecuador have declared a state of emergency following a series of violent events, such as shootings and explosions, ... which occurred in Litoral prison. This decision entails the immediate deployment of military and police forces to re-establish control over the prison system. The clashes left at least 18 dead and a series of protests in which the inmates took nearly 100 guards hostage. The provision - the second state of emergency that Lasso has ordered in less than 24 hours - will be in force for 60 days and provides for the immediate mobilization of the military and police in an attempt to regain control of prisons.

Clashes - including shots by fire and explosions – between organized criminal gangs have been raging since Saturday in the Penitenciaría del Litoral prison in the city of Guayaquil. "So far 18 prisoners have been confirmed dead after clashes recorded since Saturday," the prosecutor's office tweeted on Tuesday, adding that more than 10 people, including a police officer, were injured in the incidents. Penitenciaría del Litoral has a capacity of about 9,500 inmates, but exceeded that number by nearly 3,000 in the first quarter of this year. It is considered one of the most dangerous prisons in Ecuador. A gang battle in 2021 killed 119 inmates. In April, 12 detainees were killed and three injured during a riot. Meanwhile, prisoners in 13 other prisons yesterday declared a hunger strike and are holding 96 prison guards hostage to demand better sanitary conditions and food, among other issues.