On July 24, President Guillermo Lasso signed a 60-day state of emergency decree for detention centers. This allows for the mobilization and involvement of the armed forces and the police, together with intelligence from the National Service for Assistance to Persons Deprived of Liberty and Juvenile Offenders (SNAI), to regain control of the prisons.

During this time, successful arms recovery operations were carried out; beverages, household appliances, roosters, ducks, tilapias and even pet farms have been unusually found. However, yesterday, twelve days before the end of the exception period, a drone with an explosive device landed on the roof of La Roca prison. Controls failed.

GIR detonated a drone that landed in La Roca prison and part of the roof was hit

Yes, the controls have failed, that is an obvious reality. As of 2020, there is a Regulation on the operation of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) that specifies places where drones cannot be operated: near airports, national security zones, helipads, intangible areas, sensitive areas. Prison is part of the latter.

The same regulation, issued by the General Administration of Civil Aviation, notes that the minimum distance for approaching controlled airspace is 9 kilometers. The question that then arises is: how could the drone reach the roof of the prison with the greatest safety?

Regional prisoners stand guard on the roofs of each pavilion with cell phones and radios

The MUP disclaims responsibility with the explanation that SNAI has intelligence information, that they were alerted and that is why they sent the Intervention and Rescue Group (GIR) of the police, a unit that neutralized the drone in order to cut off the energy source of the explosive device.

It is extremely worrying that an artifact of this nature has reached the roof of La Roca, because despite the clear regulations of use, he could cross prohibited distances and prohibited areas with a full exception. This time it was located and a controlled explosion occurred, but it is a warning to the authorities to find out which controls are failing and impose corrective measures. (OR)