US Edition31 Inmates Die in Ecuador Prison Riot
At least 31 inmates died in Machala prison riot linked to gang conflicts and inmate transfers, with 27 deaths by hanging, officials said.
- 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.
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191 Articles
Two massacres in the prison of Machala , capital of the coastal province of El Oro, in the south of the country, left 32 dead and 34 wounded, in a day of horror that has shocked the country, where the violence of organized crime linked to drug trafficking is unstoppable. Most of the prisoners were found dead by asphyxiation, hung in their cells. The first incident was reported during the early morning of Sunday, and it was the neighbors of the s…
Prison Officials Find 4 Bodies—Then 27 More
At least 31 inmates were found dead Sunday at a prison in southern Ecuador, most of them believed to have been hanged during gang violence, reports the BBC . Officials say a breakaway gang, Sao-Box, initially targeted the powerful Los Lobos group at El Oro prison in Machala, leaving four dead...
Ecuador Grapples with Prison Riots: 300 Inmates Relocated to Maximum Security
Ecuador Grapples with Prison Riots: 300 Inmates Relocated to Maximum Security Ecuador has taken decisive action to handle its ongoing prison crisis by relocating 300 high-risk inmates to a new maximum-security facility on the country's coast, President Daniel Noboa announced on Monday. This action follows a violent clash that resulted in the deaths of 31 inmates in the south.The transfer is part of Noboa's comprehensive plan to diminish the powe…
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