Overview
- Special police units regained control of El Oro No. 1 in Machala after a pre-dawn confrontation that involved firearms and explosives.
- The prison authority SNAI said 44 people were injured, including 43 inmates and one agent, while another official tally cited 34 injuries.
- Local outlet Primicias, citing preliminary police information, later reported at least 21 additional inmates found dead in the same prison, a figure not confirmed by SNAI.
- Authorities have linked the unrest to transfers and reorganization ahead of the planned opening of a maximum-security facility in Santa Elena.
- The Machala prison saw 14 deaths in a September clash, part of a nationwide prison crisis that has left more than 500 inmates dead since 2021.