RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – At least 43 inmates were killed in a riot early Monday morning, May 9, after rival gangs clashed at a prison in Santo Domingo, Ecuador.
According to authorities, the riot occurred after a gang leader was transferred to Bellavista Prison in Santo Domingo on a court order, which may have led to unrest among inmates.
Initially, it was reported that 41 inmates at the prison were found dead, but Ecuador’s Interior Ministry raised the death toll to 43.
According to Interior Minister Patricio Carrillo, 108 are at large and 112 have been recaptured.
Most of the deaths were caused by knife wounds, the interior minister explained, “The use of firearms by the attackers and those who committed this irrational act was an attempt to escape.”
The Santo Domingo prison is back under control, said police commander Fausto Salinas, who added that a security fence was erected around the compound after the prisoners escaped.
The government often attributes prison violence to disputes between gangs over control of territory and drug trafficking. Last year, 316 prisoners died in riots in various prisons across the country.
According to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the system is marred by government neglect and lack of comprehensive policies, as well as poor living conditions for inmates.
President Guillermo Lasso is pushing a plan to reduce prison violence that includes pacifying gangs, pardoning prisoners in special cases, and legal reforms and social reintegration measures.