Riots in Ecuador Prison Leave Three Dead and Six Injured; Government Declares State of Emergency Amidst Concerns Over Human Rights

In the aftermath of the riots at the regional prison of Guayaquil in Ecuador, three prisoners have been killed and six have been injured. The government has declared a state of emergency due to an “internal armed conflict” against organized crime groups.

The riots began late at night with explosions and fires caused by inmates setting mattresses on fire. It took four hours for the police and armed forces to regain control of the prison, which is part of a larger complex housing about 12,000 inmates. The National Service for Comprehensive Attention to Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI) confirmed the number of dead prisoners and injured after the riot.

Relatives of prisoners gathered outside the prison demanding information and protesting the treatment of their loved ones. They expressed concern about human rights violations by security forces during the militarization of prisons under a state of emergency. The regional prison in Guayaquil was frequently targeted by operations to seize weapons and prohibited items from the prison population, leading to unrest and violence among inmates.

Two prisoners have been identified as allegedly responsible for inciting the riots and have been placed under supervision by Ecuadorian justice authorities to be prosecuted for terrorism charges. Ongoing efforts are being made to resolve internal conflicts within prisons and improve conditions for those who are incarcerated there, but concerns remain about ongoing human rights abuses since the declaration of emergency earlier this year.