State of emergency declared in Ecuador prisons

A state of emergency was declared in Ecuador's prisons by the decision of the country's leader Lenin Moreno, Report says, citing foreign press.

According to him, the cause of the emergency was the fight against the mafia.

"Due to serious events, I have declared a state of emergency in the country's prisons so that the armed forces will join in the mafias' control, which is creating chaos in the penitentiary institutions. We continue to fight crime on all fronts," the Ecuadorian leader said in a statement.

Riots in prisons in Ecuador last week resulted in the death of at least 11 people. Another 15, including police officers, were injured.