Ecuador to build mega-prisons inspired by El Salvador's hardline leader

Mr Noboa (right) was sworn in as Ecuador's new president in November Photo: JONATHAN MIRANDA/AFP

Ecuador will build two new maximum-security prisons modeled after the 12,000-inmate mega-prison created by El Salvador's authoritarian leader.

The move is part of newly elected President Daniel Noboa's attempt to curb rising drug trafficking and gang violence.

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On Thursday, he said the new prisons would be exactly like the one created by Nayib Bukele, his colleague in El Salvador who led a controversial anti-gang campaign.

“The prisons will allow for separation and proper segregation people,” Mr. Noboa said.

“For all Bukele lovers, this is the same prison,” added the 36-year-old.

Two new prisons will be built in the Amazon province of Pastaza and in Santa Elena on the Pacific coast, construction will begin on January 11.

Mr. Noboa, who took office in November, said the sites were chosen because they are far from the most violent parts of the country, such as the port city of Guayaquil, where drug-related gang violence has led to violent prisons. mass killings.

The president said his plan is to separate the most dangerous prisoners to stop gang wars behind bars that have led to about 460 deaths since 2021.

Mr Noboa's remarks came a day after he proposed a referendum on tougher crackdowns on organized crime.

Ecuador, long a safe haven between Colombia and Peru, Latin America's biggest cocaine exporters, has seen a surge in violence in recent years as rival gangs linked to Mexican and Colombian cartels vie for control.

Since 2018, the murder rate has quadrupled. and 2022, where last year was the most violent on record, with a total of 7,500 murders in a country of about 18 million.

A mega-prison in El Salvador built under the watch of Mr. Bukele, can accommodate even more people. more than 12,000 prisoners.

His government often shares photos of prisoners packed into the prison and has been criticized by rights groups over the treatment of prisoners.

Critics of Mr. Bukele, who is seeking re-election this year, say his strong-arm tactics are misguided and say El Salvador cannot arrest and jail get out of your prison. security concerns.

Ecuador currently has about 30,000 prisoners, according to the 2022 prison census.

Mr. Noboa said that to reduce the number of prisoners, he plans to deport about 1500 foreigners. , mainly from Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.