Thirty-one inmates dead, dozens wounded, and a prison system buckling under the weight of Ecuador’s relentless gang wars—what happened inside Machala’s penitentiary isn’t just another headline, it’s a warning about the chaos simmering beneath the surface of a nation at war with itself.
Ecuador’s Prisons: Epicenters of Gang Warfare
Two violent eruptions inside Machala’s penitentiary on a single Sunday underscore a crisis that has become all too familiar in Ecuador. At 2:45 a.m., rival inmates clashed in a bloody melee, leaving four dead and over 40 wounded—several gravely. Tactical police stormed the prison to regain control, but peace proved fleeting. By afternoon, authorities discovered 27 more bodies, most victims of asphyxiation.
The scale and speed of the carnage stunned even hardened officials, with one agent telling local press, “We don’t understand how this could have happened again.” The chaos was so profound that even experienced forensic teams struggled to piece together the sequence of brutality that led to the mass death.
These deadly outbursts are not isolated incidents. Ecuador’s prison system has become a battleground where rival gangs wage open war, exploiting overcrowded facilities and outgunned guards. Attempts by the government to transfer high-risk inmates to more secure locations regularly trigger violent power struggles, as criminal factions fight for dominance over lucrative smuggling routes and illicit economies that flourish behind bars.
https://twitter.com/MirkitaOrellana/status/1987702199645077657
Presidential Response: Escalating the Fight Against Gangs
President Daniel Noboa’s administration faces a dilemma that blends public safety with national security. In January 2024, Noboa declared Ecuador to be in a state of “internal armed conflict,” authorizing the military to target over 20 of the country’s most dangerous gangs as military objectives.
The move followed a wave of high-profile violence that left the public demanding action. At the start of his second term, Noboa doubled down on promises to restore order, vowing to “save Ecuador from gangs” in the face of mounting public pressure and international scrutiny.
Noboa’s strategy is shaped by more than domestic politics. He has actively sought support from the United States, aligning with efforts to combat the drug trade that fuels much of Ecuador’s gang activity. Last week’s meeting with U.S. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem focused on restoring American anti-drug operations in Ecuador—ties that were severed years ago by a previous administration. The message is clear: the battle for Ecuador’s prisons is inseparable from the global war on organized crime and narcotics.
https://twitter.com/diariocorreoec/status/1987779644649599442
Machala’s Sunday: Violence Spills Into the Streets
As families waited anxiously outside Machala’s prison for news, the city itself became a stage for further brutality. On Sunday morning, residents discovered the dismembered remains of a man, strewn across six plastic bags at multiple locations.
The authorities have not yet identified the victim, but the grisly scene highlights how the violence consuming prisons is spilling into everyday life. The streets of Machala, like those of other Ecuadorian cities, now bear the scars of a society struggling to contain criminal networks that operate with near impunity.
These events have left Ecuadorians with both a sense of outrage and resignation. Forensic teams continue to sift through the aftermath, attempting to reconstruct the timeline and causes of the deaths inside Machala’s penitentiary. Meanwhile, the government’s efforts to impose control—whether through military intervention or international partnership—remain locked in a race against the evolving tactics of the country’s most ruthless gangs.
The question looming over Ecuador is not just when the next riot will erupt, but whether the state can reclaim authority from the criminal empires that have entrenched themselves within its very walls.
Sources:
El Universo: 27 Dead by Asphyxiation in Machala Prison
RTVE: Recurring Deadly Prison Riots
Breitbart: Ecuador Declares Internal Armed Conflict