31 Inmates Killed in Ecuador Prison Riot as Authorities Probe Cause of Deadly Unrest
- Ajibade Omolade Chistianah
- Nov 10
- 2 min read
At least 31 inmates have died following a violent prison riot in southwest Ecuador on Sunday, marking one of the deadliest outbreaks of prison violence in recent months.
The country’s National Service for Comprehensive Care for Adults Deprived of Liberty and Adolescent Offenders (SNAI) confirmed the fatalities in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), noting that 27 of the victims in the Machala Detention Center died from asphyxiation and hanging.
“Competent authorities are working to fully clarify the facts,” the agency said, urging citizens to rely on official information sources as investigations continue.
According to local reports, the riot broke out around 3 a.m. local time, with nearby residents reporting gunfire, explosions, and cries for help from within the prison walls. Initial clashes left four people dead before security forces intervened to regain control. SNAI later confirmed that 33 inmates and one police officer were injured in the confrontation.
Officials believe the riot was sparked by tensions surrounding a prisoner reorganisation within the new maximum-security section of the facility. However, authorities have not yet confirmed whether the violence was linked to rival gang activity a recurring cause of previous deadly uprisings across Ecuador’s prison system.
Ecuador’s overcrowded and gang-ridden prisons have become hotbeds of violence in recent years, with more than 500 inmates killed since 2021 in clashes driven by criminal rivalries and territorial disputes. The Machala Detention Center has been a repeated flashpoint a September riot there left 14 inmates dead and 14 others wounded.
President Daniel Noboa’s government has pledged to crack down on gang violence, blaming the surge in bloodshed on criminal organisations battling for dominance inside prisons and control over the lucrative drug trade.
Ecuador, strategically located between Colombia and Peru the world’s largest cocaine producers has become a major transit hub for the global narcotics market. More than 70% of the world’s cocaine shipments reportedly pass through its ports, according to government figures.
Analysts say the country’s descent into violence can be traced to the unchecked power of gangs operating within the prison system. A 2024 report by Insight Crime described Ecuador’s penitentiaries as “the epicenter of organised crime,” warning that without deep reform, the wave of brutality is likely to persist.
Authorities say investigations into the Machala riot are ongoing.
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