In Ecuador, inmates have captured 57 security staff across six prisons. The National Service for Offender Attention (SNAI) made this announcement.
SNAI manages the country’s prisons.
A special team is working to bring back order. This team includes the National Police and Armed Forces.
For safety, they’re not sharing details about the captured staff.
The inmates’ actions seem to be a response to recent police raids. These raids aimed to seize banned items used in violence.
This situation follows a month of prison raids by police and military.
The government declared a 60-day emergency after recent violence, including 31 deaths in a Guayaquil prison.
Ecuador’s prison system has a history of issues, including overcrowding and violence.
The government had already declared a state of emergency in the prisons earlier this year.
The aim was to curb increasing incidents of violence and regain control.
Security measures in Ecuador’s prisons have long been criticized for being inadequate. Smuggling of prohibited items like weapons and drugs is common.
This has led to a cycle of violence that the authorities have struggled to break.
The capture of security staff by inmates further highlights the urgent need for reform.
It raises questions about the effectiveness of the existing security measures and calls for an in-depth review of the entire system.
The struggle for control within Ecuador’s prison system is also closely tied to larger issues of gang violence and organized crime.
Various criminal groups often use prison facilities as operational bases, exacerbating the already dire conditions.
This has made it even more challenging for authorities to maintain order and ensure the safety of both inmates and staff.