A prisoner transfer has led to a massacre at a prison in Ecuador. At least 60 were killed and 80 injured. 45 prisoners also managed to escape during the riots.
“The prisoner in question was first transferred to another prison before being sent to the Santo Domingo prison,” said police commander Fausto Salinas. “He is a member of the infamous criminal gang R7.” According to local media reports, the man was handed over for security reasons, but it didn’t work out.
The Interior Ministry confirmed the massacre in a statement on Twitter with a sad balance: 60 dead, 80 injured and 45 escaped. In the meantime, 40 escapees have been recaptured. Authorities have appointed Pablo Ramirez to restore order in the prison.
Ecuador regularly faces violence in its prisons, mostly by rival gangs. Like almost everywhere in Latin America, prisons in Ecuador are overcrowded.
In October last year at least 118 inmates were killed in fighting at another Ecuadorian prison.
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