٠٠:٠٢:٣٥The construction of the new high-security 'El Encuentro Prison' is progressing in Ecuador's Santa Elena, near the city of Guayaquil, as the government strives to isolate dangerous inmates and gang leaders in its ongoing effort to combat organized crime.
Footage captured on Friday shows workers erecting the prison across an expansive 12.2 hectares, utilizing various construction equipment. Armed soldiers are stationed around the site, ensuring security during the build.
According to Luis Eduardo Zaldumbide, the head of the National Service for Attention to Persons Deprived of Liberty, the construction is currently at approximately 30% completion.
"At this moment, the original contract for the project is 52,157,764.15 [USD], and the contractual period is 300 days. This is unprecedented; you can see the progress of the work," he commented.
However, the project has encountered financial challenges due to payment delays for critical components, such as security towers, which will be compensated only upon completion.
Once operational, the prison is expected to house drug traffickers and other violent offenders, contributing to the government's strategy to alleviate overcrowding in Ecuador's prisons amid ongoing campaigns against gang violence.
The operation is part of the state of emergency declared last month by President Daniel Noboa, which imposes curfews in several cities. On September 3, the emergency state was extended to September 29 in response to major operations by organised crime groups, according to local media.
In January, President Daniel Noboa declared an 'internal armed conflict' against 22 criminal gangs and imposed a state of emergency, deploying the military across the country. The crackdown comes ahead of the Ecuadorian general elections in 2025.
Ecuador advances construction of high-security prison amid ongoing battle against organised crime
The construction of the new high-security 'El Encuentro Prison' is progressing in Ecuador's Santa Elena, near the city of Guayaquil, as the government strives to isolate dangerous inmates and gang leaders in its ongoing effort to combat organized crime.
Footage captured on Friday shows workers erecting the prison across an expansive 12.2 hectares, utilizing various construction equipment. Armed soldiers are stationed around the site, ensuring security during the build.
According to Luis Eduardo Zaldumbide, the head of the National Service for Attention to Persons Deprived of Liberty, the construction is currently at approximately 30% completion.
"At this moment, the original contract for the project is 52,157,764.15 [USD], and the contractual period is 300 days. This is unprecedented; you can see the progress of the work," he commented.
However, the project has encountered financial challenges due to payment delays for critical components, such as security towers, which will be compensated only upon completion.
Once operational, the prison is expected to house drug traffickers and other violent offenders, contributing to the government's strategy to alleviate overcrowding in Ecuador's prisons amid ongoing campaigns against gang violence.
The operation is part of the state of emergency declared last month by President Daniel Noboa, which imposes curfews in several cities. On September 3, the emergency state was extended to September 29 in response to major operations by organised crime groups, according to local media.
In January, President Daniel Noboa declared an 'internal armed conflict' against 22 criminal gangs and imposed a state of emergency, deploying the military across the country. The crackdown comes ahead of the Ecuadorian general elections in 2025.
The construction of the new high-security 'El Encuentro Prison' is progressing in Ecuador's Santa Elena, near the city of Guayaquil, as the government strives to isolate dangerous inmates and gang leaders in its ongoing effort to combat organized crime.
Footage captured on Friday shows workers erecting the prison across an expansive 12.2 hectares, utilizing various construction equipment. Armed soldiers are stationed around the site, ensuring security during the build.
According to Luis Eduardo Zaldumbide, the head of the National Service for Attention to Persons Deprived of Liberty, the construction is currently at approximately 30% completion.
"At this moment, the original contract for the project is 52,157,764.15 [USD], and the contractual period is 300 days. This is unprecedented; you can see the progress of the work," he commented.
However, the project has encountered financial challenges due to payment delays for critical components, such as security towers, which will be compensated only upon completion.
Once operational, the prison is expected to house drug traffickers and other violent offenders, contributing to the government's strategy to alleviate overcrowding in Ecuador's prisons amid ongoing campaigns against gang violence.
The operation is part of the state of emergency declared last month by President Daniel Noboa, which imposes curfews in several cities. On September 3, the emergency state was extended to September 29 in response to major operations by organised crime groups, according to local media.
In January, President Daniel Noboa declared an 'internal armed conflict' against 22 criminal gangs and imposed a state of emergency, deploying the military across the country. The crackdown comes ahead of the Ecuadorian general elections in 2025.