Arrr! In Ecuador, the scurvy dogs set free 57 landlubber guards and officers after takin' over many prisons, says the authorities!
2023-09-01
Arrr, a score of guards and seven officers of the law, who were kept captive by scoundrel inmates for more than a day, have been set free, as per the proclamations of the goodly authorities in Ecuador.
Ecuadorian authorities have announced the release of 50 guards and seven police officers who were taken hostage by criminal groups. The government believes these groups were responding to efforts to regain control over several large correctional facilities in the country. The law enforcement officers were held in six different prisons, but details about their release have not been provided by the National Service for Attention to Persons Deprived of Liberty, the country's corrections system. This release came after a series of attacks, including the use of explosives to damage a bridge. No injuries were reported in the explosion. The government has attributed these violent acts to criminal gangs with members in prisons, retaliating against authorities' attempts to relocate inmates and seize weapons. Four car bombs and three explosive devices have gone off in less than 48 hours, with the latest explosion occurring on a bridge. Governor Consuelo Orellana reported the release of 44 hostages at a prison in Cuenca, followed by the release of all 57 hostages by the correction system. Security analyst Daniel Pontón describes these events as a systematic and planned attack, highlighting the state's ineffectiveness in preventing violence. Pontón believes these strikes aim to generate fear and influence politics, particularly as Ecuador is nearing its presidential election. The series of explosions began with a car bomb in Quito and continued in El Oro province. The authorities have made several arrests in connection with these incidents. The increase in violence over the past three years is attributed to a power vacuum created by the killing of a gang leader, with various criminal groups vying for control over drug trafficking routes and territory. Gang members are involved in contract killings, drug trade, extortion, and also rule the prisons. The presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, who had a strong stance against organized crime and corruption, was killed despite having a security detail. Colombian men have been detained in connection with his assassination.