Ecuador Prison Riot: What Caused the Deadly Fight in El Turi Jail?

At least 20 inmates were killed following the Ecuador prison riot that occurred on Monday in El Turi jail.

According to the interior minister, Patricio Carrillo, the violence in the facility occurred when one of the gangs tried to "gain control" of the prison, BBC reported.

The commander of Ecuador's national police force, Gen. Carlos Cabrera, mentioned that the deadly fight inside the El Turi jail, near the city of Cuenca, started on early Sunday due to a leadership dispute among imprisoned members of the gang known as The Wolves, per CNN.

France 24 emphasized that the trouble broke out around 1:30 p.m. in the prison's maximum-security section.

Associated Press noted that videos of the incident broadcasted in the local news media included gunfire and screaming.

Carrillo pointed out that the ringleaders behind the recent Ecuador prison riot had been identified by the authorities. Carrillo added that the said ringleaders will lose all the prison benefits they might have enjoyed.

Carrillo also stressed that about 1,000 police and military personnel worked to control the riot.

On Monday, officials from Ecuador announced that they have regained control of El Turi jail.

Victims of Recent Ecuador Prison Riot

Cabrera noted that 19 of the victims died due to acts of violence and one was killed after ingesting a chemical substance.

Meanwhile, Carrillo noted that five of the dead had been mutilated and six people were hanged, according to AP.

Meanwhile, the interior minister also noted that five people sustained serious injuries after the incident.

Authorities are now in the process of identifying the bodies of the victims to inform their relatives about the tragedy, Cabrera highlighted.

It was not the first time for Ecuador to witness such killing inside their prison systems.

In September, Ecuador's prison system has been under a state of emergency after the deadly clashes that killed at least 118 people. The said incident reportedly involved automatic weapons and even grenades, CNN stressed.

Ecuador has also seen a rise in victims of prison riots.

According to Amnesty International, at least 316 prisoners in Ecuador died in 2020. Meanwhile, in Ecuador's prison service, SNAI, more than 300 inmates were killed in prison violence in 2021.

AP also emphasized that the government of Ecuador blamed confrontations on drug gangs linked to Mexican drug cartels.

Ecuador's President on the Recent Prison Riot

On Monday, Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso said his government's number one priority is safety, contending that they act firmly and immediately.

The president then noted that the country's minister of interior has begun the transfer of the five criminal leaders from El Turi jail to La Roca.

"With this decision, any type of interaction between these leaders and the bases of the organizations they represent will be avoided," Lasso added.

Meanwhile, Patrico Carillo pointed out that they will not stop until they win the war to preserve Ecuador's democracy.

"As a Government, we will not allow the impartiality of the law to continue to be eroded, and the dignity of the human being to be undermined," Carrillo underscored.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: At least 20 killed in Ecuador Prison Gang Riot - From Al Jazeera English