By Alexandra Valencia

QUITO, Reuters – Overnight violence at Ecuador’s Penitenciaria Del Litoral prison left at least 58 dead and a dozen others injured, according to the government. This was described by authorities as fighting between gangs.

This penitenciary is located in Guayaquil in the south. It’s the exact prison in which 119 prisoners were murdered in September, in what was the worst prison violence incident in history.

Government blamed violence on prison control for disputes between drug trafficking groups.

Pablo Arosemena (guayas provincial governor) stated that the power vacuum created by the release of a leader in gang violence triggered the current disturbance. He spoke at a press conference.

Arosemena explained that this is because there wasn’t a leader in the gang who has this block. This was due to Arosemena saying that a couple of days ago, that prisoner was freed… for having completed 60% of his sentence. The other cell blocks, which were occupied by different groups, wanted to subdue them and get into the cells.

Social media videos purportedly uploaded by detainees overnight showed them asking for assistance to end the violence, while shots and blasts were heard in the background. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the source of these videos.

The South American nation’s prisons house 39,000 prisoners have been the scene of a wave if disturbances. In February and July, incidents at different prisons resulted in the deaths of 79 and 22 respectively.

According to the attorney general’s office, some of the victims killed at the penitentiary in September were burned or decapitated, while others were left with serious injuries.

Penitenciaria del Litoral found 11 dead in October. Officials believe they were all suicides.

President Guillermo Lasso, in September declared an emergency of 60 days in the prison systems. He freed funding and permitted increased control with military support.

Since the declaration of the emergency, police operations have revealed guns, grenades and knives as well as munitions, drugs, and cell phones.