Something went horrifically wrong behind the walls of a prison in southwestern Ecuador early Sunday morning.
What began as a routine security operation quickly descended into chaos, leaving families and authorities grappling with the magnitude of the tragedy.
A violent riot inside Machala prison claimed the lives of at least 31 inmates, making it one of the deadliest prison incidents in Ecuador so far this year, according to the National Prisons Agency (SNAI). In an overnight statement posted on X, SNAI confirmed that 27 victims died from asphyxiation or immediate hanging. Forensic teams are currently on-site to verify the exact causes of death and document the aftermath.
The unrest reportedly began around 3:00 a.m. local time. Residents living near the prison described terrifying sounds of gunfire, explosions, and anguished screams echoing from within the facility. Elite tactical police units were deployed to restore order, eventually regaining control after hours of intense chaos. Initial reports had cited only four fatalities, but as authorities fully assessed the scene, the death toll climbed. In total, 33 inmates and one police officer were injured during the violence.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether rival gang factions were directly responsible. Machala prison recently underwent a reorganization—a move often associated with turf disputes in Ecuador’s volatile penitentiary system. Over the past several years, Ecuadorian prisons have increasingly become strongholds for drug-trafficking gangs. Since 2021, more than 500 inmates have died in violent clashes over control of lucrative territories and cocaine routes. A 2024 report by Insight Crime described the country’s prison network as the “epicenter of organized crime” within Ecuador.
Machala has a history of extreme violence. In September, clashes left 14 inmates dead and 14 injured, with several briefly escaping before being recaptured. Days later, a riot in Esmeraldas claimed 17 more lives. Graphic images from the Esmeraldas incident, verified by AFP, depicted bodies scattered across cells, underscoring the brutality endemic to the nation’s prisons.
Families often gather outside the facilities during outbreaks, desperate for news. One woman told AFP that she rushed to the prison after hearing reports of gunfire and screaming from neighbors, only to be directed to the morgue—a chillingly familiar routine for many relatives of inmates in Ecuador.
Ecuador, once considered relatively safe compared to its neighbors, is now facing a surge of drug-related violence. Positioned between Colombia and Peru—the world’s largest cocaine producers—the country has become a key hub for trafficking, with over 70% of global cocaine shipments passing through its ports. Violence has escalated sharply in recent years, including prison massacres, bombings, assassinations, and armed attacks. Insight Crime notes that the crisis “can be traced directly to the country’s prison system and the criminal networks that have evolved inside it.”
As investigations continue into Sunday’s massacre, Ecuador faces a stark reality: its prisons—intended as places of containment and rehabilitation—have increasingly become battlegrounds for criminal power struggles that threaten the nation’s security.
Conclusion
The Machala prison riot highlights the deadly intersection of organized crime and systemic failure in Ecuador’s penitentiary system. With gangs effectively controlling the facilities and violence spilling into surrounding communities, the country confronts a harsh truth: without sweeping reforms, its prisons will remain centers of terror rather than institutions of rehabilitation and justice.