Ecuadorian President Extends Prison State of Emergency

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President Guillermo Lasso updated the emergency across Ecuador’s prison system on Monday, extending the emergency by 30 days as the country worked to control prison violence and killed dozens of prisoners. bottom.

Lasso first imposed a state of emergency in prison at the end of September due to violence in the actions of Penitenciaria Dell. A prison where more than 180 prisoners have died in battles between criminal organizations in the last two months.

Ecuadorian troops will continue to assist police in managing prisons.

After a recent incident in Penitenciaria del Littoral in the city of Guayaquil, a joint force of 1,000 police and soldiers was put into prison.

The Constitutional Court has questioned the measures deployed throughout the prison, saying the crisis would require more than temporary emergency measures.

Authorities say gangsters operating in prisons are associated with drug trafficking.

Decrees to extend the state of emergency include, among other measures, a ban on prisoners receiving mail that was not first read by security forces.

According to the government, the Ecuadorian prison system counts more than 37,000 prisoners behind the prison and has only 1,646 guards.

Lasso is pursuing plans to reduce prison violence, including sedation of gangsters, remission of criminals in special cases, repatriation of foreign prisoners, and legislative changes.

A week ago, Lasso also expanded the state of emergency to combat crime across the country.

Alexandra Valencia

Reuters

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