José Serrano, former Interior Minister of Ecuador, published a statement on September 1, 2026, alleging life-threatening mistreatment and human rights violations while held in the Encuentro maximum security prison in Santa Elena. ^[1] José Serrano, a former Interior Minister under the Correa administration, sent a message from the Encuentro prison in Santa Elena on September 1, 2026, demanding the public release of surveillance videos and recordings from the facility. ^[2] The former minister is currently under investigation in Ecuador for the 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was killed by Colombian hitmen at a rally in Quito. ^[3] Serrano claimed that prison guards force him to eat in approximately one minute and have insulted him during custody. ^[4] The former minister alleged that he has been denied access to potable water, basic hygiene products such as toilet paper and soap, and medical attention including access to the dispensary. ^[5] José Serrano was recently deported from the United States, where he had been detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) service since the previous year, and arrived in Ecuador last week. ^[6] Serrano alleged that he is being subjected to mistreatment inside the Encuentro prison and claimed he has been denied access to his medications and the medical dispensary despite requesting them. ^[7]