JAKARTA - The number of victims of clashes between gangs at one of Ecuador's biggest prisons that have been going on since Tuesday rose, with President Gullermo Lasso saying he would deploy additional security forces.
At least 116 prisoners died in gang clashes at Penitenciaria del Litoral in Guayas province, which broke out on Tuesday night, with 80 others injured.
"It is unfortunate that criminal gangs are trying to turn prisons into battlegrounds for power disputes," President Lasso told reporters in Guayaquil, citing Reuters September 30.
"I ask God to bless Ecuador and that we can avoid more casualties," he prayed.
Tuesday's clashes were the deadliest ever reported in Ecuador's prison system. Similar clashes took place in February and July 2021 at various prisons across the country. At least 79 people died in February violence, while 22 others died in July clashes.
Dozens of people arrived at the prison seeking information on relatives, demanding accountability from officials in charge of inmates' safety. The government supports a military presence outside the facility. President Lasso, said the state would help the families of the dead and injured inmates.
Meanwhile, the South American state prosecutor's office said on Wednesday that six prisoners killed at Penitenciaria del Litoral had been beheaded.
Separately, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) previously condemned the violence, and Human Rights Watch urged the Government of Ecuador to launch a full investigation of prison violence, bringing those responsible to justice.
Last August, President Lasso said the government would provide additional funding for the overcrowded prison system, to build new wards, and install new equipment to improve security.
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