Ecuador is cracking down on prisons to restore order after guards and other staff were held hostage by inmates since the beginning of last week when chaos erupted in the country after a drug gang boss escaped prison. The staff have now been freed.
Drug gangs had been holding around 130 guards and staff hostage in response to President Daniel Noboa declaring a state of emergency following the escape of Aldofo Macias. Macias was set to be transferred to a higher security prison which angered him and incited the initial aggression seen from gangs. On the day of his transfer, the gang boss disappeared from his cell.
Last Saturday evening, prison staff who had been taken hostage earlier in the week were freed. A crackdown on gangs commenced and images of shirtless prisoners guarded by security were posted to the official account of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces of Ecuador on Sunday.
"The national police are respecting the human rights of these people. We are doing so in a very calm manner," Police Chief Norman Cano at the Esmeraldas prison posted to social media.
On Saturday evening when the hostages were freed, President Noboa wrote on X, translated from Spanish, "Congratulations to the patriotic, professional and brave work of the Armed Forces, National Police and the SNAI under the leadership of the minister @Palencia3Monica and Gian Carlo Loffredo for achieving the release of the prison security."
At least two hostages were killed by the inmates during the ordeal with one of them hung, according to VOA News.
President Noboa deployed the army in response to the situation and declared that the country was "in a state of war" last week when the hostages had been taken.
