Glaeldys Gonzalez Calanche, analyst for the South Andes at International Crisis Group: “Ecuador’s prisons are overcrowded and violent centers where corruption is rampant. They are operational hubs for criminal groups, which exploit state neglect and bribe and co-opt staff. These facilities have also become battlegrounds for brutal turf wars as rival factions vie for control of lucrative illicit activities behind bars. President Noboa’s government has sought to regain control of the penitentiary system by deploying the military to restore order, conduct security operations and guard prison perimeters. He also initiated construction of two maximum-security facilities in Santa Elena on the Pacific coast. However, these moves have failed to dismantle organized crime groups’ grip over jails or halt bloodshed within them. Although violence briefly dropped after the militarization of jails in 2024, halting the massacres that had previously plagued the system, unrest has since returned, and riots, prison breaks and deadly clashes are…”