© Boris Romoleroux
Police control the compound while relatives of the inmates await answers on the outskirts.
The Minister of the Interior, Patricio Carrillo; the Minister of Government, Francisco Jiménez; the Minister of Defense, Luis Hernández, and the Secretary of Human Rights, Bernarda Ordóñez, gave a press conference from the facilities of the ECU 911 from Austro where they indicated that up to now they recognize 12 prisoners killed and 12 injured following the riot in the Turi prison recorded at dawn on April 3.
Carrillo reported that every two hours they will issue reports on the situation in the CRS Turi and expressed solidarity with the relatives of the inmates in the face of the unfortunate event. In addition, he indicated that the Government will deliver the coffins.
“We will make every effort from the Government with all the Institutions, because it is a State response,” said the minister. @CarrilloRosero.
He informed that several activities were decided within a great strategy, and that the results will be communicated every two hours.
– Ecuadorian Ministry of Government (@MinGobiernoEc) April 3, 2022
Paul Ramirez, director of the SNAI, added that 90 detainees were evacuated and that they are in good custody by the security institutions, within that group, 10 were injured and were treated by the Ministry of Health. Five ambulances are currently at the center to provide immediate care.
The Minister of the Interior indicated that so far 12 deaths have been recorded in the external part and in the internal parts they are still working and carrying out an evaluation, so the number of victims might increase in the coming hours.
Carrillo reported that the cause of the riot was because there is a gang dispute. There is an organization that wants to have absolute control of the prison and last night, some cells rebelled once morest them, thus generating a riot. In the early hours of the morning, a strong shooting might be heard inside the prison and in videos it was seen how a deprived of liberty shouted for help for their lives.
Some measures have been adopted to prevent people who belong to the same organizations and are in other prisons from raising this tension in other prisons.
The minister confirmed that there are no escaped prisoners. This, since it was known that in the middle of the riot there was the recapture of 55 prisoners who tried to flee from the center.
In addition, he indicated that a state of emergency will not be decreed following the prison crisis that is plaguing the country.
Carrillo reported that so far, the situation is not controlled in the CRS Turi and especially in the maximum security pavilion where the massacre took place. It is presumed that it was a confrontation between the criminal gangs, Los Choneros and Los Lobos.
Desperate relatives are requesting information regarding the deceased, but the authorities have not provided it. The Secretary of Human Rights has indicated that the bodies have not yet been identified.
The states in which the bodies were found have not been detailed, they are presumed mutilated. However, Ordóñez indicates that the state of the bodies is not yet known.
