Key Takeaways:
– Maria Daniela Icaza, director of the infamous Litoral penitentiary, was killed in an armed attack.
– This is the second such killing in Ecuador in less than two weeks, following the murder of the director of a prison in Sucumbios.
– Ecuador’s prisons, among the most dangerous globally, have been taken over by drug gangs.
– The government’s offensive against organized crime has reportedly reduced homicides.
Deadly Uprising in Ecuador’s Prisons
The director of the most notorious prison in Ecuador was brutally killed in an armed attack last Thursday. This incident marks the second high-profile assassination in less than two weeks in the country’s beleaguered penal system, as confirmed by the SNAI prison agency. Maria Daniela Icaza, the director of the infamous Litoral penitentiary in Guayaquil, succumbed to injuries acquired during the ambush on a road leading to the nearby town of Daule.
Growing Violence in Prison System
Ecuador’s prisons, beset with escalating violence, rank as some of the world’s most treacherous. Notoriously commandeered by powerful drug cartels, these penitentiaries have been under military control since President Daniel Noboa proclaimed a state of internal armed conflict in January this year. This drastic action followed a severe wave of violence ignited by the escape of a potent crime boss.
Icaza’s premature death occurred barely nine days after another shocking incident. Alex Guevara, the head of a prison in the Amazonian province of Sucumbios, was gunned down while travelling. The simultaneous attack left two other accompanying workers wounded.
Sadly, these are not isolated incidents. Just a fortnight ago, two prison officers in Guayaquil were ruthlessly murdered while en route to work. With the homicide rates skyrocketing to a staggering 47 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023, Ecuador is grappling with a severe law and order crisis.
Victim of International Cartels
Once notably peaceful, Ecuador now struggles with the rapid infiltration of international cartels using its main ports, particularly Guayaquil, for drug shipments bound for the United States and Europe. Nevertheless, President Noboa’s government asserts that their aggressive crackdown on organized crime has marginally reduced homicides.
Latest data from the interior ministry underscores a decrease from 5,112 murders between January and September 2023 to 4,236 in the same period in 2024. The government’s ongoing offensive is focused on 22 notorious crime groups, including Los Choneros, Los Lobos, and Tiguerones.
International Sanctions on Cartels
As part of its assertive stand against international drug trafficking, the U.S. penalized Los Lobos and its chief, Wilmer Geovanny Chavarria Barre, also known as “Pipo” in June this year. U.S. officials characterized Los Lobos as the most extensive drug trafficking ring in Ecuador, contributing significantly to the spiralling violence.
As Ecuador battles a rampant crime surge and exceptionally high murder rates, the recent assassination of two prison directors underscores its escalating challenges. The government’s measures to quell the violence bear significant responsibility, not only for its citizens but also for its international drug trafficking fight.