Ecuador prison massacre: the gang war for power behind bars

More than 100 inmates killed in most deadly jail riot in the South American nation‘s history ’

Relatives of inmates wait for news after a prison riot in Guayaquil, Ecuador
Relatives of inmates wait for news after a prison riot in Guayaquil, Ecuador
(Image credit: Fernando Mendez/AFP via Getty Images)

The confirmed death toll from a gang battle in one of Ecuador’s largest prisons has risen to 116, including at least five inmates who were beheaded.

A further 80 prisoners were injured during the clashes last night at the Penitenciaria del Litoral in Guayas province, “in what authorities are calling the worst penitentiary massacre in Ecuador’s history”, reported the Associated Press.

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