Prison riot in Ecuador leaves at least 43 inmates dead

BOGOTA, Colombia

At least 43 inmates were killed in a prison riot in Ecuador on Monday, authorities in the South American country reported.

According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, the incident occurred at the Social Rehabilitation Center of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, located about 70 km (43 miles) from the Ecuadorian capital of Quito.

Although the government had confirmed that the riot reported on Monday morning had left 20 inmates dead, authorities updated the figure on Monday afternoon.

Dozens of relatives of the inmates crowded outside the prison to find out news about their family members.

According to the minister of the Interior, Patricio Carrillo, "the escape of approximately 40 people was prevented" when they were recaptured by members of the Armed Forces and Police.

President Guillermo Lasso expressed his condolences and said that this new riot is a consequence of "gang violence".

"My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died in the riot in Sto. Domingo prison. This is a regrettable result of gang violence," he said from Israel, where he arrived for a three-day official tour.

This latest tragedy comes one month after a prison massacre that left 20 dead.

Some 350 inmates have died in Ecuador's prisons since February 2021, according to the government, due to rampant violence between criminal gangs linked to drug trafficking.