Ecuador's Litoral Penitentiary Director Killed in Armed Attack, Escalating Violence in Prisons

On Thursday, the director of Ecuador's largest prison, Maria Daniela Icaza, was tragically killed in an armed attack in Guayaquil, marking the second such fatality in recent weeks. The SNAI prison agency confirmed the incident, further highlighting the escalating violence in the region.

Details of the Attack

According to reports, Icaza, who was in charge of the notorious Litoral penitentiary in Guayaquil, succumbed to injuries sustained during an armed attack on the road leading to the nearby town of Daule. She unfortunately passed away while being transported to the hospital. The agency also mentioned that a prison service official who was accompanying her sustained injuries in the attack.

This incident marks a disturbing continuation of violence targeting prison officials in Ecuador. Nine days prior to this incident, Alex Guevara, the head of a prison in the Amazonian province of Sucumbios, was similarly killed in an armed attack while traveling by car. Additionally, two weeks ago, two prison officers in Guayaquil were murdered while en route to work.

The Dangers of Ecuador's Prisons

Ecuador's prisons are notorious for their dangerous environments and have been infiltrated by drug gangs. The penitentiaries have been under military control since January when President Daniel Noboa declared a state of "internal armed conflict" in response to a brutal wave of violence, triggered by the jailbreak of a powerful crime boss. The situation has been exacerbated by gunmen storming and opening fire in a TV studio, as well as bandits threatening random executions of civilians and security forces. Disturbingly, a prosecutor investigating one of these assaults was later shot dead.

Escalating Violence and Crime Rates

Ecuador has witnessed a surge in violent incidents, with an alarming record of 47 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023, a stark contrast to a rate of six murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018. The country, once regarded as a beacon of peace in Latin America, has been plunged into a crisis due to the rapid expansion of transnational cartels utilizing its ports, particularly Guayaquil, for drug shipments to the United States and Europe. President Noboa's government claims that their offensive against organized crime has led to a decrease in homicides. Between January and September of this year, there were 4,236 reported murders, demonstrating a decline compared to the 5,112 incidents during the same period in the previous year, as reported by the interior ministry.

Targeting Criminal Groups

President Noboa has indicated a focus on dismantling 22 criminal groups, including the powerful Los Choneros, Los Lobos, and Tiguerones. Notably, in June, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Los Lobos and its leader, Wilmer Geovanny Chavarria Barre, also known as "Pipo." U.S. officials have labeled Los Lobos as the largest drug trafficking ring in Ecuador, attributing a significant contribution to the violence gripping the country to the gang.