Machala: A riot broke out inside a prison in southwestern Ecuador, leaving at least 31 inmates dead. Ecuador’s prison service said the incident occurred in Machala, a port city south of Guayaquil, the country’s largest city, on Sunday local time. The incident was the result of a clash between two criminal gangs vying for control of the prison. At least 31 inmates were killed, including 27 by asphyxiation and death by hanging. No other details were released.
According to Thai News Agency, earlier in the day, a riot at the prison left four people dead, fueled by inmates’ frustration over the planned transfer of some to a new maximum-security facility. On Monday, local time, authorities moved the first batch of about 300 of their most dangerous inmates, including former Vice President Jorge Glass, who is serving time on corruption charges, to the Encuentro prison in Santa Elena province. This move is part of President Daniel Noboa’s plan to cut the ranks of criminal gangs operating in overcrowded prisons, amid frequent inmate brawls and fatalities in recent years. Ecuador’s prisons have 36 prisons in total, and the prison capacity is about 30 percent, according to data from the Ecuadorian Prison Service. The new maximum security prison can accommodate more than 700 inmates.