New Day of Gang-Related Violence Shakes Ecuador

On Monday night, criminal gangs clashed with each other inside the El Inca prison located in the city of Quito. The quarrels left five inmates dead and several people injured.

RELATED:

New Attack Against a Police Station in Guayaquil

In response to the events, the police and military entered a penitentiary center that houses 1,365 prisoners, according to the Quito Metropolitan District Police Commander, Victor Herrera.

Shortly after the security operation, the prison was brought under control and the wounded were transferred to health centers. Police criminalistics agents reported that two victims had been cremated.

Residents of the surrounding areas posted videos that recorded sounds of shots and detonations inside the El Inca prison. At approximately 9:24 p.m., President Guillermo Lasso tweeted a message stating that the Police had already taken control of the prison.

Hours after the incidents in Quito, gunmen traveling on a motorcycle fired on a Community Police station in Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, a province that, along with Esmeraldas and Guayas, has been under a state of emergency for days.

Although the attack did not cause deaths or injuries, it affected the infrastructure of the police station, leaving a glass door completely destroyed. "Those who attempt against security must have an exemplary and forceful sanction," Police Commander Fausto Salinas said.

While all this was happening, the Ecuadorian congress held a meeting of over six hours in which lawmakers were expected to take some concrete security measures. Instead, they passed a resolution condemning the violence.