Police say thirteen inmates and one prison guard have been killed and another fourteen individuals injured in clashes between rival gangs in a jail in Ecuador. Residents near the prison in the southwestern city of Machala reported hearing explosions and gunfire early on Monday morning.
Police chief William Calle confirmed that an unspecified number of prisoners escaped during the chaos, with thirteen of them recaptured so far. The incident, linked to a gang identified as Los Lobos Box, highlights the ongoing violence and instability within Ecuador's prison system, which has been plagued by similar outbreaks before.
Initial reports indicate that police were responding to an emergency call from the prison when they were taken hostage by inmates, resulting in the death of one guard. Subsequently, members of Los Lobos Box attacked rival gang members, exacerbating the violent situation.
Authorities reported that some inmates made their escape through an opening in the prison wall, which had been created by an explosive device. The means of how the explosives were smuggled into the facility remains unclear.
Among the injured are two police officers; however, security forces have since regained control of the prison by deploying up to 200 police and soldiers. Local residents have expressed their long-standing concerns about the prison's location, situated in a central area of Machala.
Ecuador is currently grappling with a severe increase in gang violence, which has transformed it from one of the safest countries in Latin America into one of the most dangerous. Prison gangs have established powerful connections with Mexican drug cartels, facilitating control of drug trafficking routes.
Recently, the United States designated two Ecuadorean gangs, Los Lobos and Los Choneros, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), stating that their primary aim is to dominate drug trafficking routes through Ecuador by instilling terror and violence into the society.
