Ecuador Prison Violence Leaves 31 Dead in Dual Machala Incidents

Overview

• Prison authorities confirmed 31 detainee deaths on Nov. 9 at Machala, including 27 later found dead by asphyxia in a separate incident.
• An early‑morning armed uprising around 3 a.m. left four dead, at least 33 inmates and a police officer injured, and led to seven detentions.
• Elite police units retook control of the facility, and operational and forensic teams remain on site to clarify the sequence of events.
• SNAI said the disturbances were tied to planned transfers associated with a new maximum‑security facility in Santa Elena expected to open this month.
• The killings follow a September clash at the same prison that left 14 dead and come as Ecuador’s gang‑driven prison crisis has claimed hundreds of lives since 2021 after shifts between military and police control.