Prison Crisis: Ecuador Declares State of Emergency Amid Fatal Attacks

Ecuador has declared a state of emergency in its prison system after a recent surge in violence and deadly clashes between rival groups. President Guillermo Lasso has ordered the military and police to take control of the prisons for 60 days. The state of emergency comes after a mayor was shot and killed, and clashes between gangs in the largest prison left at least 18 dead. In other prisons, inmates have taken guards hostage and launched hunger strikes to demand better conditions. Ecuador's prison system has long been a concern for human rights groups.