Arrr! The land o' South America appoints its sixth pirate prison chief in a mere two years! Gang violence be runnin' wild, mateys!
2023-08-10
Arr, ye scurvy dogs! These knaves of international criminal organizations be exploitin' Ecuador's lack o' security to plunder the world's cocaine trade! The land be plagued with gang violence, aye, 'tis a crisis like no other!
Ecuador has appointed its sixth prisons chief in less than two years after a month of violent incidents within the country's penal system. Guillermo Rodriguez, the former chief, resigned after admitting his failure to improve the nation's prisons authority. Luis Ordonez, a retired soldier and intelligence expert, has been named as his replacement. Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso approved the appointment. The United Nations Human Rights Office has previously expressed concerns about the dire situation in Ecuador's detention centers and prisons. Maria Luisa Romero, who led a UN delegation to visit the country, attributed the recent violence to decades of state abandonment and the lack of essential services and resources in the prisons. The country's homicide rate has quadrupled since 2018, with citizens losing confidence in the police's ability to keep them safe. The increase in crime is largely attributed to the fractured control over cocaine production in neighboring countries, such as Colombia and Peru. Gangs have taken advantage of lax border control between these countries and Ecuador, empowering local gangs and forming alliances across the country. This surge in criminal activity has also spread to the prison system, resulting in numerous riots and deaths. At least 420 people have died in prison riots since 2021. The appointment of a new prisons chief is aimed at addressing these issues and improving the situation in Ecuador's prisons.