Compared to the prison model of Nayib Bukele in El Salvadora maximum security prison rises in an inhospitable place of the coast of Ecuador Faced with the rejection of a local community and as a symbol of the “hard hand” that the president wants to impose on organized crime, Daniel Noboawho seeks his re -election in this Sunday’s elections.
The prison, called by the Government as the ‘Encounter prison’in reference to the motto used by the Administration of former president Guillermo Lasso (2021-2023), which he replaced Noboais one of the two that the president intends to build to deal with the penitentiary crisis that the country is experiencing, where between 2021 and 2024 they were killed More than 500 inmates.
Read also: What is Usaid, the US foreign aid agency with which Trump and Musk want to end
“The system was kidnapped and humiliated by criminal organizations. Today we have order in the prison and we are making history. In this center, impunity and penitentiary disorder will be ended”Noboa said in June last year, when he put the first stone that began the work.
Construction is in charge of the company Bridges and footwear infrastructureSpanish subsidiary Bridge Groupthat controls the state company China Road and Bridge Corporationand has a budget of 52 million dollars.
Know more: Vice President of Ecuador asks justice to stop with “the abuse of power” of the government
For about 800 prisoners
It is expected that it will house about 800 inmates, and when it is isolated it is expected to receive the Ecuadorian criminal band leaders that until the arrival to power Noboa They controlled ancient prisons, where they had all kinds of comforts such as high -speed internet and televisions.
The project is in a rural area between the communities of Pacific Chanduy and Boardsin the coastal province of Santa Elena, and at the beginning of the work the government announced that it would be ready in 300 days.
However, on December 25 a group of armed men entered the area and perpetrated an attack qualified by the Government as “terrorist“That she left a dead. The incident led to paralyze construction.
Look here: González Urrutia praises in Ecuador to Machado and Venezuelans who “have risked everything”
Community rejection
This project is not seen with good eyes by the inhabitants of the neighboring communitieswho in December asked justice to suspend the work.
They claim that the 16.2 hectares land where the prison is raised belongs to their ancestors since “immemorial times”, So they seek to protect the right to prior consultation, free and informed, A resource that applies to the projects that are carried out in indigenous territories to obtain the consent and acceptance of its members.
In addition, they point out that prison is built in a tropical dry forest ecosystem, where there are about 75 species of birds and endemic vegetation. The Ministry of Environment said last July that the area does not belong to the National System of Protected Areas nor to the national forest heritage.
Donald Cabrerarepresentative of Chanduy descenthe told EFE in telephone conversation that they have tried documents that the place “It has never been from the State” and that belongs to them.
Read also: Vice President of Ecuador: the Noboa government wants to “take power by force”
Fear of insecurity
Another of his concerns is insecurity, because Cabrera He affirmed that, since the construction began, crimes such as extortion and kidnapping emerged and visits from “Strange people” They wanted to buy their land.
“We live in complete fear. Communities, families, our children … We live in an anxiety, in permanent threat “he said.
The community said that they fear that the area becomes violent, as has happened in other parts of the country. “Our territories They always went from peace, there has never been such threats and today we live fearing the worst ”he added.
He also anticipated that they will take resources to the last instances. “As an affected community we will not tire of asking for justice to be done”, He added.
Restructure Penitentiary System
In a recent interview, Noboa said the project is still standing and that it is expected that “The first important part” be ready in the third quarter of this year, said it will serve for the “Total restructuring of the prison system.”
“We must decongest and dismantle where the problem is concentrated, which is in the Penitentiary of the coast (The largest and dangerous prison in the country). Only there are more than 8,000 people “said the ruler, who said they have talked about this plan with the European Union and with USA.
