MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ecuador: Authorities regain control of prisons, free hostages

One casualty was recorded in the Machala prison, where on Friday night there was a shootout. Photo: José Jácome / EFE

Ecuador's forces retook control of all the country's prisons and freed some 150 corrections officers who were being held hostage by the rioting inmates, it was reported this past weekend. However, one guard was killed during a shootout in the operation.

In a message on social media at around 10 pm local time Saturday, President Daniel Noboa confirmed the release of all the hostages. Riots erupted after Adolfo Macias, alias Fito, leader of the Los Choneros gang escaped from jail earlier this week triggering an unprecedented wave of crime and violence.

Rioting prison inmates took at least 178 hostages between officers and clerical staffers, who began to be released in dribs and drabs in the subsequent days. By Saturday some 150 of them were still held captive.

The casualty was recorded in the Machala prison, where on Friday night there was a shootout despite Prisons Board (SNAI) announcements hours before that the riot was already under control.

In Esmeraldas, the release of eleven prison guards was peaceful and took place through a negotiation mediated by the Church, while in Ambato the Armed Forces entered to reduce the prisoners and remove the thirteen prison guards held there.

Minutes later, Cuenca Mayor Cristian Zamora announced the release of all the personnel held in the city's Turi prison, where the inmates had climbed to the roofs as shots and detonations were heard.

On Friday six other inmates escaped from Guayaquil's Litoral prison, the largest and most populated in Ecuador. Two of them have so far been recaptured. A prison guard was arrested on suspicion of having facilitated the escape.

Since President Noboa ordered the Armed Forces to help reestablish order, a total of 1,327 people have been detained by the Army in the last six days, 143 of whom were charged with terrorism. According to the so-called Security Axis (a body made up of military, police, and government authorities), a total of 12,974 operations have been carried out nationwide in the last few days in compliance with Noboa's latest declarations of “state of exception” and “internal armed conflict.”

The “state of exception” is expected to be in force until early March and includes a six-hour “curfew” starting at 11 pm.

In the executive decree recognizing an “internal armed conflict”, the government identified at least 22 transnational organized crime groups and classified them “as terrorist organizations and belligerent non-state actors.” The following gangs were mentioned by name: Águilas, ÁguilasKiller, Ak47, Caballeros Oscuros, ChoneKiller, Choneros, Covicheros, Cuartel de las Feas, Cubanos, Fatales, Gánster, Kater Piler, Lagartos, Latin Kings, Lobos, Los p.27, Los Tiburones, Mafia 18, Mafia Trébol, Patrones, R7 and Tiguerones.

The Security Axis also said that 32 operations were aimed at terrorist groups and five people identified as terrorists were killed, while two law enforcement officers also fell in the line of duty. In addition, 27 prison inmates who had escaped have been recaptured.