Deadly Riot at Machala Prison Leaves 31 Inmates Dead
The national prison authority (SNAI) said a violent uprising at the Machala prison in El Oro province early Sunday left at least 31 inmates dead and dozens injured. Authorities reported that 27 of the deceased were found hanged, while a further 4 died in armed clashes during the disturbance. Officials also said 33 inmates and one police officer were wounded.
The unrest reportedly began at about 3:00 a.m. (08:00 GMT). Residents nearby described hearing gunfire, explosions and cries for help as the violence unfolded. Elite police units entered the facility and retook control, and forensic medical teams were dispatched to the scene to verify and document the casualties.
SNAI said investigators were working to "fully clarify the facts," and the authority has not yet released the identities of the deceased or publicly confirmed whether the episode was a new outbreak of inter-gang fighting.
Authorities suspect the riot may have been triggered as officials began an operation to transfer some inmates into a new maximum-security prison — a facility built by President Daniel Noboa's administration in another province and due to be inaugurated this month. Ecuador's prisons have struggled with overcrowding, corruption and weak state control, conditions that have allowed organized criminal groups with links to drug traffickers in Colombia and Mexico to gain influence.
Context: More than 500 people have died in prison riots in Ecuador since 2021. At the end of September, an armed confrontation at Machala killed 14 inmates and a prison official, and days later a riot in Esmeraldas left 17 dead. Last year, coordinated unrest across multiple prisons resulted in 150 prison guards being taken hostage.
The government, which has pledged a tougher stance on crime, continues to battle rival gangs fighting for territorial control inside the prison system. Authorities have indicated that further details will be released as forensic and security teams complete their work.
