Ecuador: Discovery of weapons near Guayaquil Oct. 21 suggests gangs planning major prison riot

Event

Police discovered a cache of explosives, blasting caps, and detonating cord as well as over 1,200 rounds of ammunition, three drones, and two handguns in a home near Guayaquil, Guayas Province. Authorities believe the arms and drones were destined for a nearby prison in Guayaquil.

Context

The discovery of such a large stockpile of weapons and explosives is unusual in Ecuador and suggests that one of the gangs active in the prison was likely planning on a largescale riot. Prison riots in Ecuador are sometimes accompanied by mass escapes and massacres. In late September, 118 inmates were killed amid rioting by gangs in the penitentiary in Guayaquil. The riot came after a similar July disturbance in the same facility in which 22 prisoners lost their lives. A series of simultaneous uprisings across multiple prisons in February lead to the deaths of 79 prisoners and the mobilization of troops to quell the unrest.