A violent riot inside Ecuador’s largest prison left at least 31 inmates dead and 14 others injured on Monday, marking yet another tragedy in the country’s troubled penitentiary system. The deadly outbreak occurred at the Litoral Penitentiary in Guayaquil – a facility long notorious for gang violence and overcrowded conditions.
According to Ecuador’s National Service for Comprehensive Attention to Adults Deprived of Liberty and Adolescent Offenders (SNAI), the clash broke out during an operation to transfer several high-risk prisoners to a maximum-security facility. Authorities confirmed that many of the victims died from asphyxiation, though they did not specify the exact circumstances leading to the suffocation deaths.
Witnesses inside the prison reported chaotic scenes as smoke filled parts of the complex during the confrontation. Emergency personnel and police units were deployed to regain control and rescue the injured. The SNAI later announced that the situation had been contained, but investigations are ongoing to determine how the riot escalated so quickly.
The Litoral Penitentiary, one of Ecuador’s most overcrowded prisons, has a long and bloody history of violence. It was the site of a 2021 massacre that left at least 500 inmates dead – one of the worst prison killings in Latin American history. Experts say the recurring clashes stem from rival gang factions battling for control of drug routes and internal territories within the prison walls.
Ecuador’s broader prison crisis has persisted for years, fueled by systemic overcrowding, staff shortages, and the infiltration of powerful criminal networks. Human rights groups have repeatedly urged the government to implement reforms to improve safety and living conditions for inmates.
President Daniel Noboa’s administration has vowed to restore order to the penitentiary system, recently transferring top gang leaders to high-security facilities. However, critics argue that without addressing the root causes – corruption, lack of resources, and poor rehabilitation programs – such violence will continue to erupt.
As authorities investigate the Litoral riot, families of the victims are demanding answers and accountability. The tragedy serves as another grim reminder of Ecuador’s ongoing struggle to bring peace and stability to its overcrowded and volatile prisons.
