A violent riot at a prison in Machala, Ecuador, resulted in the deaths of four inmates and injuries to over 30 others on Sunday. The incident was confirmed by Ecuador’s prison oversight agency, which stated that the unrest was triggered by the planned “reorganization of inmates” ahead of the opening of a new maximum-security facility located in a different province. Authorities managed to regain control of the prison after the outbreak of violence, which also left one police officer injured. The current condition of the injured inmates has not been disclosed.
This riot follows a similar incident less than two months ago, in which 14 inmates lost their lives due to escalating gang conflicts within the same facility. Prisons in Ecuador are increasingly becoming deadly environments, with overcrowding, corruption, and insufficient state control contributing to the rise of gang activity, particularly those linked to drug trafficking organizations operating out of Colombia and Mexico.
According to reports, more than 500 individuals have died in prison riots across Ecuador since 2021, highlighting a troubling trend of violence within the correctional system. Last year, a series of coordinated riots in multiple prisons led to the hostage-taking of 150 prison guards, further illustrating the dire situation facing the country’s penal institutions.
The government has struggled to address the ongoing crisis, as gangs continue to operate with relative impunity from behind bars, often utilizing smuggled weapons to maintain control over their territories and influence criminal activities. As the situation develops, officials are under increasing pressure to implement reforms to improve prison conditions and curb the influence of organized crime within Ecuador’s correctional facilities.
