Deadly Prison Unrest Claims Dozens of Lives in Ecuador
A day of violent armed rioting at a prison in southwest Ecuador on Sunday resulted in the deaths of at least 31 inmates, according to the country's prisons agency, SNAI. The incident, which saw elite police teams regain control, is the latest in a series of bloody confrontations within the nation's troubled penal system.
Gruesome Details Emerge from Machala Prison
The port town of Machala became the epicentre of the tragedy, where twenty-seven prisoners died due to asphyxiation and 'immediate death by hanging,' according to an official SNAI statement shared on X. Authorities confirmed they are still working to fully clarify the facts, with forensic medical personnel on site to verify information.
The violence erupted around 3:00 am local time (0800 GMT), with local residents reporting the sounds of gunfire, explosions, and desperate cries for help coming from inside the prison walls. While tactical police brought the situation under control, the agency did not specify the identities of the deceased or confirm if this was another instance of inter-gang fighting.
A Recurring Nightmare in Ecuador's Penal System
This riot was reportedly prompted by a reorganisation of prisoners in a new maximum security facility. Ecuador's prisons have effectively become operational centres for rival drug-trafficking gangs. According to a 2024 report by the Insight Crime think tank, they are now considered the 'epicentre' of the country's organised crime.
The scale of the problem is staggering. In just this incident, four people died in the morning violence, while 33 inmates and one police officer were injured. This follows a pattern of extreme violence:
- In September, gang fighting in the same Machala prison left 14 people dead.
- Days later, another 17 were killed in a prison riot in Esmeraldas.
- Since February 2021, over 500 inmates have been killed in inter-gang conflicts.
President Daniel Noboa's administration, which has pledged a tough stance on crime, blames the violence on rival gangs battling for dominance. The roots of this crisis, as Insight Crime found, 'can be traced directly to the country's prison system and the criminal networks that have evolved inside of it.'
A Nation Engulfed by Violence
Nestled between the world's two largest cocaine producers, Peru and Colombia, Ecuador has become a major hub for the global cocaine trade. Government data indicates that more than 70 per cent of all cocaine produced in the world now passes through Ecuador's ports. This has transformed the nation of some 18 million people into one of the most dangerous places in Latin America.
The violence within prison walls has often been broadcast live on social media by inmates themselves, showing decapitated and charred bodies of their enemies. The country's biggest prison massacre occurred in 2021, when more than 100 inmates were killed in the port city of Guayaquil.
