Skip to main content
See every side of every news story
Published loading...Updated

31 Inmates Die in Ecuador Prison Riot

  • A day of violent rioting in Machala killed at least 31 inmates at Machala prison, El Oro province, on November 9, 2025, Ecuador's SNAI prison authority said.
  • Officials trace the unrest to plans to move inmates to El Encuentro, the new maximum-security prison due this month, with gangs opposing transfers as they compete for control.
  • Local residents reported gunfire and explosions around 3:00 am, and elite police teams entered immediately, regaining control after fighting left four prisoners dead and one police officer injured.
  • Interior Minister John Reimberg said bodies were found around 6 p.m., blaming rival gangs, and forensic medical personnel were on site to verify facts.
  • The incident adds to a wave that has killed more than 500 inmates since 2021, reflecting Ecuador's broader prison crisis and gang control issues, authorities said.
Insights by Ground AI

176 Articles

Center

Quito, Ecuador.- The President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, presented on Monday to the first 300 prisoners of the country's "most dangerous" who will occupy their new high security megacarcel, after a bloody massacre in a prison. In orange uniform, tied hands and with shaved heads looking at the floor, about twenty detainees appear sitting on the floor and surrounded by soldiers with a covered face, according to images spread by the President in X.…

Lean Left

“Alburque Robles Juan Gabriel, Ochoa Zuquilanda Luis Alfonso, Soto Hinostroza Luis Jordy, Sánchez Álava Víctor Manuel...,” shouted a policeman in front of the prison gate of Machala, a coastal city in southern Ecuador that became a cemetery. Each name was that of one of the 27 prisoners killed on the afternoon of Sunday, November 9, in a new prison massacre. “Gómez Romero Abel Eduardo...,” the officer continued reading, until the tearing cry of …

·Spain
Read Full Article
Lean Left

Since 2021 about 500 prisoners have died inside prisons in the country

Read Full Article
Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 36% of the sources are Center
36% Center

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

Global Voices broke the news in on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
Search
Blindspot LogoBlindspotLocal