Quito [Ecuador], October 7: On October 7, AFP quoted a statement from the Ecuadorian prison administration saying that the six people killed in a riot at a prison in Guayas province on October 6 (local time) were all suspects in the assassination of Mr. Fernando Villavicencio.
Mr. Villavicencio (60 years old) was previously the leading presidential candidate with commitments to fight corruption . "They are all Colombian citizens accused of murdering former presidential candidate Villavicencio," according to the statement, mentioning six people killed.
Current Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso said that at least he will cancel his visit to Korea and return from the US to handle the case.
The riot at Guayaquil prison occurred in one of the detention areas at Guayas 1 prison. The prosecutor's office said it had sent people to coordinate with the police and army to "conduct security protocols" regarding .
Guayas 1 is one of five detention areas at the prison in Guayaquil, an important port city that has become the scene of bloody fighting between drug gangs. At the end of July, a riot at this prison left more than 30 people dead.
In the latest incident, the victims were six Colombians arrested after the assassination of Mr. Villavicencio on August 9, when he left a campaign in Quito before the first round of elections.
Conflicts between gangs linked to criminal groups in Colombia and Mexico have left more than 430 prisoners dead in Ecuador since 2021.
In late August, dozens of guards were held hostage at several prisons across the country before being released. On Ecuador's streets, murders quadrupled from 2018 to 2022, to a record average of 26 per 100,000 people. According to experts, that rate could rise to 40 this year.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper
