The possibility of building a prison in Antarctica was mentioned by the president of Ecuador himself, Daniel Noboa, in an interview with the North American newspaper “The New Yorker” . The objective would be to build a prison for a select group of around 100 criminals linked to drug trafficking and serious crimes.

Despite the expressed desire of the Ecuadorian president, the current treaties between the countries that claim portions of Antarctica establish that the region can only be used in scientific and research projects .

The option that Noboa mentioned in the face of a possible rejection of this striking initiative to create a prison on the white continent , is to transfer the prosecutors and judges who intervene in drug trafficking cases to embassies outside of Ecuador , in order to protect them.

Daniel Noboa 's surprising statement was made before a journalist who, later, in the article published in the United States media, noted that at the time of making the statement the president brandished "a malicious smile."

“We have a piece (of Antarctica), so why not? "It would be a prison for only a hundred guys," said Noboa, who at the beginning of January decreed a State of Exception for 60 days and then declared the country in an " internal armed conflict " and in a " war " against organized crime, describing these groups as “ terrorists ”.

Furthermore, in recent days, the Ecuadorian Government announced that it will fulfill a promise from the 2023 electoral campaign, by building a new prison that will be added to the 36 already existing .

It will be in the province of Santa Elena , in the south-central area, with an investment of 52 million dollars , the intention being to reduce a prison overpopulation that exceeds the current capacity by more than 3,000 prisoners .