A massacre broke out on 22 July in del Litoral, Ecuador’s largest prison, in the city of Guayaquil. The first reports pointed to several deaths, as well as hunger strikes, and 137 prison guards taken hostage simultaneously in several prisons around the country. The president declared a state of emergency in all prisons on 24 July. On 25 July 2,700 security police and military entered del Litoral prison. As of 27 July, the total number of deaths confirmed from the massacre is 31, with 14 wounded. Family members await outside the prison, traumatized by lack of information and forensic services that are struggling to properly identify cadavers and provide information. Prisoners inside the prison lack proper safety and health services.
