All prison staff held by inmates at prisons in Ecuador amid a sharp uptick in violence had been freed by Saturday evening, the SNAI prisons agency said.
The hostages, which SNAI previously said were 158 guards and 20 administrative staffers, were held since last Monday in at least seven prisons as a security crisis escalates in the South American country.
President Daniel Noboa on the social media platform X congratulated SNAI, police and armed forces for the successful release of the prison staff.
There would be an investigation to determine those responsible for the hostage-taking, SNAI said in its statement.
SNAI reported incidents at several prisons earlier Saturday, including an armed confrontation with inmates at the prison in El Oro province that resulted in the death of a guard.
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