According to authorities, at least 15 people died on Monday, and 20 sustained severe injuries in a fight between convicts at the Latacunga prison in central Ecuador.
Furthermore, officials blamed the violence on local and international drug trafficking organizations, who have often committed atrocities in the Andean nation’s prisons as the groups contend for dominance and the privilege to distribute drugs.
Moreover, Ecuador’s national penal service confirmed the number of fatalities in the Latacunga prison, 50 miles south of Quito. In addition, agents are still looking through the pavilions of the jail for bodies.
On another note, some videos featuring gunfire and inmate screams are circulating on social media.
Most importantly, the penitentiary service reports that 316 prisoners died while incarcerated in Ecuador last year. In addition, ninety deaths have been reported so far this year. Furthermore, the Guayaquil Litoral Penitentiary saw the deadliest slaughter in September last year, when 125 inmates perished.
Lastly, the jail system in Ecuador is designed to house 30,000 prisoners. But as of last month, 53 state institutions were housing 35,000 inmates.
