Ecuador Prison System Exposed Security Weakness Causing Series Of Car Bombings

Posted by: lukwago J in world news September 1, 2023

Quito Ecuador – A series of violent incidents inside Ecuador’s prison system has exposed serious security weaknesses and the consequences of battles between criminal gangs.

Authorities said brazen actions were the response of criminal groups to the relocation of various inmates and other measures taken by the country’s corrections system.

Over the weekend, simultaneous car bomb explosions were detonated outside two prisons in Ecuador’s coastal region. While no one was injured in the attacks, it marks an escalation in tactics used by gangs linked to drug trafficking groups.

Meanwhile officials believe the bombings were carried out by inmates’ family members and intended to create chaos that could allow for prison breaks or facilitate other criminal plans. It comes just days after two guards were taken hostage at a maximum-security prison in Guayaquil.

Ecuador prisons have been plagued by chronic overcrowding and under-funding of the corrections system for years. More than 30 people died during riots at several jails last year alone, and human rights observers say governance remains poor.

Gangs like Los Choneros and Los Tiguerones have proliferated within prison walls and engage in assaults, extortion, and killings to maintain control over the drug trade both inside and outside detention facilities.

The recent violence underscores how criminal networks are able to utilize explosives and siege-like tactics even from behind bars.

It has raised concerns about Ecuador’s ability to reign in gang warfare and protect inmates, staff and the general public from security spillover effects.

However Calls are growing for the government to address long-standing structural issues as a means to curb the power of prison-based crime syndicates and violent contests between them that threaten stability.

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