Latin American Prisons: Safe Havens and Recruitment Centers for Gangs

In Ecuador, an army intervention in prisons marked a response to gang leaders’ escape, igniting countrywide chaos.

This event sheds light on a widespread issue across Latin America, where criminal groups wield control inside prisons.

Inmates pay for protection and essentials, turning prisons into command centers for external operations, including violence and trafficking.

Mario Pazmiño, a retired army colonel, points out that prisons are the nerve centers of organized crime, directing operations that terrorize nations.

Over the past two decades, the prison population in Latin America has surged due to stricter crime policies, including pre-trial detentions.

Government neglect fuels inmate self-governance, fostering cartel and gang influence, worsening societal impact, and entrenching criminal networks.

Authorities often find themselves outmatched, underpaid, and susceptible to corruption, leaving gang leaders to maintain order in exchange for peace.

In Mexico, criminal organizations control more than half of the prisons, while in Brazil, facilities are segmented by gang affiliation to prevent violence.

Ecuador’s prisons are similarly under gang influence.

Imprisoning minor offenders with serious ones often escalate criminal behavior, warn experts, urging better classification in corrections.

Notably, Brazil’s largest gangs originated within prison walls, maintaining their power bases there.