How many Ecuador prison employees were held hostage? Medical evaluation underway as staff are released

On January 13, the president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, declared that the jail staff, who were held as hostages, had finally been released. The news was made public by the SNAI prisons agency and covered by media outlets like WION and The Guardian.

According to ABC News, as of January 11, at least 125 prison guards and 14 administrative staff members were taken captive by the prisoners in at least five jails around the nation. They had been held captive since last Monday, January 8. There had been a notable spike in violence at the time of the occurrence.

The prisons agency, SNAI, said that individuals were receiving medical examinations and that it would look into those who were behind their kidnapping, but it did not disclose the number of persons who had been set free. It had been stated earlier on Saturday that while at least 41 had been released, the guards and three administrative staff members remained hostages.

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The Ecuador prison employees were held hostage as part of a protest and an unrest

The hostages are going through a medical check-up (Image via Facebook / SNAI Ecuador)

As per CNN, the national prisons agency announced on Saturday that all prison officers and administrative staff who were being held captive by the prisoners at the correctional facilities around Ecuador had been released.

According to the SNAI prisons agency, more than 150 personnel were taken hostage in several prisons on Monday, January 8, as countrywide civil unrest took place in Ecuador. ABC7 News reported that according to the Interior Ministry, prisoners in detention centers in Azuay, Tungurahua, Cañar, Cotopaxi, and Napo were holding the guards and employees.

A nationwide state of emergency was proclaimed on the same Monday, by President Daniel Noboa, sparking widespread turmoil and violence that led to the hostage scenario. The hostage situation at Ecuador's prisons occurred in the midst of a wave of violence that has rocked the nation and featured police kidnappings and bombings.

Furthermore, as per the BBC, the prisoners had allegedly threatened to kill the hostages on the same day if military personnel were sent in to take over control of the prisons. In addition, four police officers were also captured.

Moreover, as WRAL reported, the agency has also received reports of an armed altercation between prisoners and National Police and armed forces personnel in a jail in the southern part of El Oro. Furthermore, the El Oro jail had lost one prison guard, according to SNAI.

As per France24, the declaration of a state of emergency followed rumors of a jail breakout by José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as "Fito.” Villamar is the alleged head of the Los Choneros gang, which is reported to have ties to the Sinaloa cartel.

He was being imprisoned in a Guyaquil high-security prison after being found guilty in 2011 of charges involving narcotics trafficking and murder. France24 reported that, according to officials, almost 3,000 police officers have been dispatched to apprehend him.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa greeted the news of the hostages' liberation with joy and commended SNAI, the armed forces, and the national police for their successful rescue.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa's tweet greeting the SNAI and the team (Image via X / @DanielNoboaOk)

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As per WION, in an official statement, SNAI stated that an inquiry would be conducted to identify the individuals accountable for the hostage situation.

According to the administration, since a state of emergency was declared on Monday, more than 1,000 people have been taken into custody. The armed forces and law enforcement agencies kept up their nationwide operations.

Additionally, the security forces of Ecuador are currently attempting to restore order in at least six jails where disturbances broke out.

Fito was being detained in a maximum-security wing, and a check of that area did not turn up any evidence of him.