


In the days before the attack, inmates had already heard that an attack was coming and that the target would be Pavilion Two, the “transitory” pavilion where new inmates arrive and are held until space is found to accommodate them, he said. He has served five years of a 25-year sentence for murder but says he is not a member of any gang and tries to stay neutral. AP confirmed the identity of the inmate, who asked not to be identified for fear of being killed. The Associated Press contacted a prisoner in one of the 12 cell blocks - or pavilions - that make up the prison to hear firsthand what happened before and during the deadly confrontation, and how gangs operate inside the lockup. So far this year, at least 334 inmates have died in different clashes in the Guayaquil prison, including 119 inmates in an attack in September. When the dust settled and authorities had regained control, they found at least 68 inmates dead and 25 wounded in what was only the most recent massacre in Ecuador’s troubled penitentiary system. Late Friday, a brutal attack was launched and clashes among rival gangs lasted for hours into early Saturday. What happened hours later confirmed there were many more weapons already inside. Hours later police announced what the prisoners inside Litoral already knew: The three men detained belonged to a prison gang that was stockpiling weapons.
