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At least 31 inmates were found dead in El Oro prison in southern Ecuador on Sunday, in one of the deadliest incidents in the country’s recent history of prison violence. Officials confirmed that 27 of the victims had been hanged, while four others were killed during clashes between rival gangs.
The violence erupted in the early hours of the morning when gang members fought inside the facility, leaving more than 30 prisoners injured. Hours later, security guards discovered the bodies on the prison’s third floor, according to Ecuador’s prison authority, Snai.
Authorities say the clashes were triggered by plans to transfer some inmates to a newly built prison. El Oro prison, located in the heart of Machala, has long been a flashpoint for gang-related violence. In September, 13 inmates and a guard were killed in similar gang clashes.
Relatives of prisoners are demanding stricter security measures, including separating rival gangs, while Machala residents have renewed calls for the prison to be relocated outside the city center.
The government, led by President Daniel Noboa, has promised reforms. A new maximum-security facility, El Encuentro, is set to open later this month in Santa Elena province, equipped with advanced security systems. Officials hope this will curb the escalating violence that has plagued Ecuador’s overcrowded prisons.
Gang influence remains a major driver of crime in the country. Two of Ecuador’s most notorious gangs, Los Lobos and Los Choneros, were recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the U.S. Department of State.
