Prison crisis in Ecuador: 58 prisoners killed in incidents at the Litoral Penitentiary, reported the governor of Guayas

(CNN Spanish) – This Saturday the governor of Guayas Pablo Aresomena confirmed, in a press conference, that after the incidents that began this Friday night inside the Litoral Penitentiary, in Guayaquil, 58 prisoners died and another 12 were injured and are being treated in centers. doctors, according to the preliminary report.

“As Pavilion 2 was without a ringleader, other PPLs tried to subdue them. More than 700 people were in that pavilion. The lighting system was destroyed. Not only did they use weapons and detonations, they also tried to suffocate them, burning mattresses and more,” detailed the governor.

Aresomena said that the families of the victims had already been notified of the events.

The commander of the Police, Tannya Varela, said at the conference that pavilion two is being intervened by the authorities to regain tranquility and security.

Police had activated protocol to intervene

The Ecuadorian Police reported on Friday night that it activated a security protocol to allow the entry of its special teams to the Litoral Penitentiary to achieve “control and reestablish order” due to the alert of new incidents and possible confrontations between inmates .

The Traffic Agency of the province of Guayas reported the closure of the Daule road that is located in front of the Penitentiary. The situation forced the closure of vehicular traffic on this road located on the outskirts of Guayaquil.

Some relatives of the inmates approached the outskirts of the Penitentiary to request information and find out the status of their relatives.

Residents around the Penitentiary reported shots during the afternoon and night of this Friday, which alerted the Police and led to their intervention.

Earlier, the Police reported that they detained three inmates who were trying to bring prohibited items into the Penitentiary such as 2 rifles, 5 pistols and 27 packages with ammunition and explosives.

The penitentiary system in Ecuador faces a state of exception since September 29 due to the escalation of violence inside and outside the prisons.