A violent riot at the Machala prison in El Oro province, southern Ecuador, has claimed the lives of at least 31 inmates, authorities confirmed on Sunday, November 9, 2025. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning, around 3:00 am, and involved gunfire, explosions, and cries for help from inside the facility.
Ecuador’s SNAI prison authority reported that 27 of the deceased were found hanged, while four others died amid the armed unrest. The riot also left 33 inmates and one police officer injured. Forensic teams were deployed to the prison to verify the casualties, though the condition of the injured remains unclear.
The latest violence comes less than two months after another deadly riot at Machala claimed 14 lives, highlighting the persistent unrest in Ecuador’s prison system. Authorities have not confirmed whether the recent incident was directly linked to inter-gang conflict, but gangs battling for control over territory are widely believed to be behind the unrest.
The riot reportedly broke out as authorities began relocating some inmates to a new maximum-security prison, set to open later this month under President Daniel Noboa’s administration. Elite police teams quickly intervened and regained control of the facility.
Ecuador’s prisons are notoriously overcrowded and plagued by corruption, creating fertile ground for organized criminal gangs connected to drug traffickers from Colombia and Mexico. Since 2021, more than 500 people have died in prison riots across the country. In 2024, coordinated attacks across multiple prisons even led to 150 prison guards being held hostage.
President Noboa’s government has vowed a hardline approach to tackling crime, but the cycle of violence continues to claim lives and strain security forces. The Machala riot is the latest example of the deadly challenges Ecuador faces in reforming its prison system.
Authorities are continuing investigations to fully clarify the circumstances surrounding the deadly riot.
