Ecuador: 48 Inmates Escape From Esmeraldas Prison

On Monday, Ecuador's National Service for the Attention to Detained Persons (SNAI) confirmed the escape of 48 prisoners from the Esmeraldas prison. Five of them were subsequently recaptured.

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The escape is said to have occurred on Sunday but was only detected on Monday when the police and the armed forces carried out an operation to search for weapons, drugs, and other prohibited items. 

SNAI also mentioned that a prisoner had died inside the Esmeraldas prison. Currently, the relevant authorities are investigating this case. Earlier on Friday, at least six prisoners also escaped from the Litoral Penitentiary, the largest in Ecuador.

In a report on Sunday, President Daniel Noboa's administration informed that the Armed Forces and the Police conducted 32 operations against organized criminal groups, arresting 1,327 people, 143 of whom could be linked to drug trafficking groups.

The International Network of Family Members of Persons Deprived of their Liberty expressed concern about the situation in the Ecuadorian prison system.

"We express our deep concern about the situation that the Penitentiary System is experiencing in Ecuador, as well as the escalation of violence that has affected prisoners, their families, and those people working within the system," it said.

"Violence, torture, and murders inside the prisons, as well as the high levels of corruption and institutional weakening in the country, reflect the lack of a comprehensive criminal policy with a human rights approach," the International Network added.