The inmates in question were charged in connection with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was shot dead in Quito on August 9
Fernando Villavicencio
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247 Six Colombians held in a prison in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil were murdered in recent prison unrest, Télam news agency reports. This prison, known as Guayas 1, was often the scene of violent clashes between drug trafficking gangs. The detainees in question were charged in connection with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was shot dead in Quito on August 9.
Fernando Villavicencio, a former member of the National Assembly and a veteran journalist, was assassinated as he left an event in the north of the Ecuadorian capital, just weeks before early parliamentary elections scheduled for August 20. The murder shocked the country and led to the arrest of 13 people suspected of involvement in the crime. In addition, a young Colombian accused of shooting the politician was killed by bodyguards at the time of the attack.
The State Authority in Charge of Prisons (SNAI) released a statement condemning the incident in Guayas 1 prison and expressing its determination to cooperate in the investigation to identify those mentally responsible for the murder of the former candidate. President Guillermo Lasso, who was in New York for personal reasons, announced on social media that he would return to Ecuador “in the next few hours” to deal with the emergency. He stressed the importance of not complicity or coverup in the case and ordered an immediate meeting of the security cabinet.
Before his trip to New York, Lasso planned an official visit to Seoul, where he wanted to work to negotiate a trade agreement. However, the emergency situation in Ecuador caused him to rethink his plans.
The Guayas 1 prison is part of a penal complex in Guayaquil, in the southwest of the country, that has become an operations center for drug gangs fighting for control of the drug trade. Clashes between inmates at this complex have resulted in more than 430 deaths since 2021.
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According to local media information, Pabellón 7, where the latest massacre took place, is controlled by the Los Águilas group, one of several Ecuadorian gangs allied with Mexican cartels such as the Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación cartels, as well as Colombian cartels.
This killing of inmates comes at a sensitive time, just days before the second round of presidential elections in Ecuador, which will take place on October 15 and will decide between the leftwing candidate Luisa González and the rightwing candidate Daniel Noboa. Prison security and the fight against drug trafficking will continue to be key challenges for the Ecuadorian authorities, regardless of the election outcome.