Previous Story
Accused of helping “Guacho” are in unipersonal cells
Posted On 17 Apr 2018
Ecuadornews:
The 43 alleged members of the group, led by the dissident of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), are distributed in prisons in Ecuador. Eleven are in the maximum security area of the Guayaquil regional, where they leave the courtyard one hour a day. The rest of the day passes in one-person cells.
Those captured for allegedly having links with alias “Guacho”, allegedly involved in the kidnapping and death of three Ecuadorian journalists, remain in prisons with greater security in the country.
Until yesterday there were 43 apprehended people related to the group of dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), according to Ramiro Mantilla, general commander of the National Police. Eleven of the detainees were transferred from Esmeraldas to the Regional Social Rehabilitation Center (CRS) of Guayas, at kilometer 17.5 of the road to Daule, on the outskirts of Guayaquil. They were presented to the press in the classroom of the Don Bosco school, suitable in the penitentiary center.
Gina Godoy, coordinator of the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Worship, of Zone 8 (Guayaquil, Durán and Samborondón), explained that the objective was to show that the management of the case is public. The individuals were with their hands cuffed back and wore the orange shirt that is worn as a uniform in prison.
All were standing, with their eyes towards the wall; however, some turned to watch those who recorded or photographed them. None spoke. The official explained that in the area of maximum security the custody is in charge of the Police, not as in the areas of minimum and median that the responsibility is of the prison guides.
Those apprehended meet the measure of deprivation of liberty in unipersonal cells, they can go out into the yard one hour each day and have less frequent visits. Since the 11 citizens are not yet sentenced, they can receive two intimate visits each month and three from other relatives (maximum two people per shift). They can only be seen by people who are included in a list – of 10 relatives or friends – formulated by themselves.
“It is the ordinary procedure for anyone deprived of the freedom of this stage,” she said. Godoy said that of the 11 inmates, four entered on April 5 and the other 7 on the 14th of the same month.
That day, a woman linked to this group was also taken to the Social Rehabilitation Center (CRS). The official explained that the transfer of suspects to different prisons is due to security regulations and that when they have to appear in a hearing they will not have to be transferred from one city to another, but they can be presented through videoconference as contemplated by the Organic Comprehensive Criminal Code (COIP).
In the Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Sierra Centro Norte de Cotopaxi there are 12 other suspects linked to the attacks on the northern border (Esmeraldas). Among them is a woman.
Dustin Ortega, director of CRS Latacunga, explained that there are three Colombians and nine Ecuadorians inmates and for security reasons did not reveal if they are in the pavilions of medium, minimum or maximum security. What he did say is that they are kept separate and uncommunicated between them. The official specified that three arrived on February 20, five on March 17 and four on April 6. He also assured that he had no knowledge if they were close relatives of “Guacho”.
The CRS was not militarized nor redoubled the police contingent. Additionally, he clarified that with these 12 inmates, the same security protocols are met as with another 4,900 who remain incarcerated in the center, whose capacity is for 5,000 people. (I)
