Bloody clashes continued Tuesday in one of the largest prisons in Ecuador, the day following violence between prisoners which left at least 16 dead and several dozen injured. Among the victims is a drug baron.
“There are new clashes” in the Latacunga prison center, the prison administration (SNAI) said on Tuesday. Eleven new detainees were injured during the morning, said the governor of the province of Cotopaxi, Oswaldo Coronel.
According to the prison administration, detonations were heard in the medium security wing of the prison and the administrative staff were evacuated. With some 4,300 detainees, the Latacunga prison center is one of the largest in the country.
Clashes with knives and firearms broke out there on Monday, with once once more acts of barbarism and mutilation of the victims. According to a prison administration official, a gang leader and head of the inmates, nicknamed ‘El Patron’, was among those killed.
Dismembered corpses
“It’s very sad to say, but the majority of the bodies have been dismembered,” said a provincial official. According to official accounts, the detainees mostly fought with knives.
Some 600 soldiers and police were called in on Monday to regain control of the prison. Metal gates were installed in front of the penitentiary center, in the middle of an incessant ballet of ambulances rushing screaming sirens.
The violence was reportedly sparked by the murder of drug trafficker ‘El Patron’. “From what we know, on a preliminary basis, Leandro Norero is among the victims,” said the deputy director of the prison.
Since February 2021, the Ecuadorian prison system has experienced eight massacres between inmates, resulting in a total of more than 400 deaths. Gangs often run the drug trade from detention centers and wage war inside and out to dominate the market.
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