By: Sunday Ameh
At least 31 inmates have been confirmed dead following a violent riot at the Machala Detention Center in southwest Ecuador on Sunday.
The National Service for Comprehensive Care for Adults Deprived of Liberty and Adolescent Offenders (SNAI), which oversees the country’s prisons, confirmed the incident in a statement shared on its official X handle, saying authorities were working to uncover the full details of the tragedy.
“Regarding the events that occurred this Sunday afternoon at the Machala Detention Center, it is reported that, at this time, 27 inmates have died, some of whom committed asphyxiation, resulting in immediate death by hanging,” the statement read in part.
SNAI further disclosed that four other prisoners were killed earlier in the day, bringing the total number of fatalities to 31, while several others, including a police officer, sustained injuries.
According to reports, the riot began around 3:00 a.m. local time and was characterized by gunfire, explosions, and cries for help, as terrified residents living near the facility recounted.
Authorities said the disturbance was linked to the reorganization of prisoners within the newly established maximum-security unit — a move that reportedly sparked violent clashes among rival gangs.
Ecuador has been battling a wave of deadly prison riots in recent years, fueled largely by turf wars between powerful criminal networks operating inside the country’s correctional facilities.
Since February 2021, more than 500 inmates have been killed in Ecuador’s prisons, with many of the deaths involving decapitations and burnings, as rival gangs fight for dominance and control of drug trafficking routes.
The country’s president, Daniel Noboa, has pledged to take a tougher stance on organized crime. However, rights groups say his government faces a daunting challenge, as Ecuador — sandwiched between Peru and Colombia, the world’s top cocaine producers — has become a major hub for global narcotics trade.
In one of the worst previous incidents, over 100 inmates were killed in 2021 at a prison in Guayaquil, while dozens more have died in similar uprisings this year.
Authorities say investigations into the Machala riot are ongoing, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
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