Last massacre in prison in Ecuador, an act of terrorism?
1:50
(CNN Spanish) -
In an attempt to alleviate the overcrowding of inmates in Ecuador's prisons, President Guillermo Lasso will pardon inmates who suffer from catastrophic or terminal illnesses, as well as health complications from tuberculosis and for being HIV positive, the virus that causes AIDS.
The announcement was made this Friday through an official statement from the Ecuadorian presidency that specifies that a technical body of the Ministry of Health will determine who may qualify to be released from prison before completing their criminal sentences.
"The presidential decision grants total forgiveness of custodial sentences. However, it does not extinguish the full reparation of each one of the recipients of the pardon. Nor does it abolish the fines or non-custodial penalties imposed by means of an executive sentence," emphasized the Ecuadorian Government announcement.
The so-called "Ecuador Rescue Plan" indicates that, to qualify, terminally ill patients may not have convictions for crimes such as illicit enrichment, organized crime, human trafficking or kidnapping.
2 senior officials resign after prison massacre 0:41
With this decree, President Lasso seeks to reduce overcrowding in prisons in his country.
advertising
Two weeks ago a riot was reported in the Litoral Penitentiary, which left 62 dead;
while, last September, another riot left 119 dead, becoming the worst massacre in Ecuador's prison history.
