In Ecuador’s Guayaquil Regional Prison, inmates ignited a riot, protesting military treatment by setting fires and wielding weapons.
Videos on social media captured the upheaval, showing inmates demanding President Daniel Noboa address their grievances about military conduct.
The disturbance stemmed from issues with state treatment, not gang conflict.
The National Service for Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI) cited an “internal revolt” yet offered no details on casualties. SNAI claims 80% of the prison is now secured.
Ecuador militarized its prisons on January 8 after riots in seven facilities.
Noboa’s emergency declaration permitted military patrols inside, a typically restricted action, cutting the homicide rate by half and raising his popularity above 80%.
In addition, the Guayaquil complex including La Roca’s maximum-security jail, detains about 12,000 prisoners.
Ricardo Barreiro Abad, among them, faced investigation for alleged influence trafficking.
Following the emergency, over 200,000 operations have targeted gang activity nationwide, a strategy inspired by El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele.
These efforts resulted in 16,459 arrests, with 280 for terrorism, and the seizure of illicit items from jails, spotlighting corruption.
In Short, the prison controlled by Los Choneros, witnessed leader Adolfo Macías’ escape, revealing systemic oversight failures.