At least 68 prisoners were killed and more than two dozen injured in overnight violence at Ecuador’s Penitenciaria del Litoral prison
At least 68 prisoners were killed and more than two dozen injured in overnight violence at Ecuador’s Penitenciaria del Litoral prison, the government said on Saturday, in what officials characterize as fights among rival gangs. Bryan Wood reports.
Dozens of Ecuadorians gathered outside a prison on Saturday waiting for news of loved ones who may have been killed in an overnight riot.
Nearly 70 prisoners were killed and more than two dozen injured at Ecuador’s Penitenciaria del Litoral prison.
General Police commander, Tannya Varela, characterized the violence as fights among rival gangs.
“These events are due to a territory dispute by criminal gangs inside the prison. At the moment there are certain pavilions that are without leaders, because, this may be surprising to all citizens, but the leaders were released after having served 60% of their sentence.”
At the same prison earlier this year, located in the southern city of Guayaquil, over 100 inmates were killed in the country’s worst incident of prison violence in recent history.
The latest disturbance was set off by a power vacuum following a gang leader’s release
The provincial governor, Pablo Arosemena told the press on Saturday, “There was no leader of the gang at this cell block because a few days ago that prisoner was released. Other cell blocks with other groups wanted to control them, get inside and have a total massacre.”
Ecuador’s prison system has come under spotlight in recent years for overcrowding and poor sanitation and living conditions.
In September, the country’s president, Guillermo Lasso, declared a two month state of emergency in the prison system and most recently he called on the highest court to allow military to enter prisons, instead of providing only outside security.
The court responded in a statement that the prison crisis will require more than temporary emergency solutions.
Spotify’s 2023 Wrapped has dropped prompting listeners to review their top artists, genres, and songs of the year.
Many are taking to social media platforms to share their listening trends with family, friends, coworkers, and even other fans on the internet.
While Apple Music, a rival platform, has its own year-end campaign—it hasn’t quite ignited the same online response.
Seth Schachner, the Managing Director at StratAmericas and a former Sony Music Executive joins Veronica Dudo to discuss. #Spotify #music #Apple #AppleMusic #SpotifyWrapped #streaming #featured #IN AMERICA TODAY
Coles and Woolworths, two of Australia’s largest supermarket chains, are about to face a Senate inquiry that aims to scrutinise their market dominance and business practices.
The inquiry’s parallels with a past New Zealand investigation highlight the growing concern over the duopoly’s impact on consumers and smaller businesses.
The Senate inquiry, set to begin next month, comes as a response to mounting public pressure and allegations of anti-competitive behavior in the grocery sector.
New Zealand example
Similar concerns led New Zealand to conduct its own inquiry into the supermarket industry back in 2019, resulting in recommendations for increased regulation and transparency.
The central question here is whether Coles and Woolworths wield too much power in the Australian market, potentially stifling competition and limiting choices for consumers.
With the New Zealand example as a cautionary tale, many are wondering if this inquiry will result in meaningful changes to the Australian grocery landscape.
Elon Musk has thrown a verbal jab at former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, declaring her political campaign as “dead” on X.
The unexpected comment from the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has ignited a new wave of discussion within the political sphere, leaving many wondering about the implications for Haley’s political future.
In a tweet that garnered significant attention, Musk criticized Haley’s recent policy stance, writing, “Nikki Haley’s campaign is dead on arrival if she continues to ignore the urgency of climate change.
We need leaders who prioritize the planet’s future.” The tech mogul’s remarks come as Haley, a prominent Republican figure, has been exploring the possibility of running for president in the upcoming election cycle.
Musk’s statement has reignited the debate over climate change within the Republican Party, with many conservatives emphasizing economic interests over environmental concerns.
This raises questions about whether Musk’s endorsement or critique could influence the GOP’s stance on climate issues and potentially impact the 2024 presidential race.