Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] At least 33 people have died as a result of the escape of more than 1,500 prisoners from the maximum-security central prison in Mozambique. This was reported on December 25 by the Portuguese agency Lusa.
It is specified that the prisoners managed to escape from the Machava prison, located 14 km from Maputo, during the riots that occurred after the announcement of the election results. As the Chief of Police of Mozambique Bernardino Raphael explained, the protesters came close to the prison walls and provoked unrest among the prisoners. In addition, about 30 convicts were in constant contact with armed groups.
During the escape, there were a number of clashes between prisoners and prison staff, and the escapees managed to seize weapons. As a result, 33 people were killed and 15 were injured. After the escape, with the support of the army, 150 prisoners were found and detained.
In total, according to the Ministry of Justice, there were more than 3 thousand convicts in prison, mostly for murder.
Mozambique held presidential and parliamentary elections in October. The winners were the ruling Frelimo party and its candidate for the post of head of state, Daniel Chapu. On December 23, the Constitutional Council proclaimed Chapu president, which caused discontent among the opposition, which claims that the results of the vote were falsified. Unrest has continued in the country for several days, accompanied by robberies, shootings and mass vandalism.
Earlier, Regnum news agency reported that Ecuadorian police and military personnel freed 24 prison guards and 17 administrative employees who had been taken hostage by prisoners during the riots.
On January 7, the security situation in Ecuador began to worsen, amid prison riots and the escape of gang leaders.
On January 8, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency in the country for 60 days, and on January 9, a state of internal armed conflict. On the same day, armed men stormed the TC TV studio in Guayaquil and took the editorial staff hostage.
The hostage takers demanded to be allowed to go live on air. In addition, inmates in several Ecuadorian prisons took hostage more than 130 guards and employees of the institutions.
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