The screams began before dawn. Gunfire and explosions echoed through the prison, shaking the silence of the early morning. By sunrise, more than 30 inmates were confirmed dead and dozens more injured, leaving the facility overwhelmed and a nation once again confronting the scale of its prison crisis. Officials moved quickly to contain the situation, while families gathered outside the gates, desperate for answers that were not yet available. What unfolded in Machala is being described as more than a riot. Reports suggest coordinated violence inside the prison, with evidence pointing to targeted killings rather than spontaneous chaos. Asphyxiations and...
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