Ecuador – A horrific riot broke out in a prison in El Oro province in southwestern Ecuador on Sunday, November 9, 2025, leaving 31 inmates dead and dozens injured, in one of the deadliest incidents in Ecuadorian prisons in recent years.
The National Prison Administration Office (SNAI) reported that 27 of the deaths were due to asphyxiation or hanging. A second confrontation between prisoners left approximately 33 people and one police officer injured, and resulted in the deaths of four more.
This incident occurs amidst overcrowded prisons, widespread weapons within them, and ongoing power struggles between gangs vying for control within the facilities. This reflects the fragility of the security system and the state’s limited ability to control the situation inside prisons.
This is not the first time Ecuadorian prisons have witnessed such a massacre; similar incidents occurred earlier this year, resulting in dozens of deaths in other facilities, indicating a recurring pattern of violence and unrest.
These events raise questions about the effectiveness of penal reform policies. There is a need to strengthen oversight and implement effective rehabilitation and isolation programs for gangs within prisons. This is essential to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies, which not only affect prisoners but also threaten society as a whole.
