At least 13 prisoners died in a prison in Ecuador in the midst of a new confrontation between gangs, into a new chapter of frequent prison violence in the South American nation.

The clash took place Friday at a prison known as La Penitenciaría in the city of Guayaquil. one of the most dangerous in the country.

Ecuador has been suffering from prison riots since 2021.resulting in the deaths of hundreds of prisoners, which the government attributes to clashes between drug gangs vying for territory and control.

“Thanks to the use of technology, unfortunately, 12 deceased were visualized,” SNAI said in an interview with the media.

In turn, the prosecutor’s office said on its Twitter account that “it has launched a preliminary ex officio investigation in order to identify those responsible for the death of 12 people deprived of their liberty“.

Another death was later reported as the death toll rose to 13.

Last year, both a United Nations delegation from the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) found that prison violence in Ecuador this was due to years of government neglect of the prison system.

President Guillermo Lasso, a former conservative banker facing impeachment hearings on corruption allegations he denies, is struggling to cope with the rise in violence in Ecuador, which it is used as a transit point for cocaine destined for Europe and the US.

Earlier this month, the Ecuadorian government the decree was amended to allow the use of firearms and pepper spray by civilians.citing increased instability in the South American country.

Friday standoff comes after murder of three female prison officers in front of this prison. The SNAI reported this week that six prisoners were found hanged in one of the La Penitenciaría pavilions.

Lasso suspected the presence of a social force and declared a state of emergency several times prison system in an attempt to control violence.

(According to information from Reuters and Europe Press)