prison riot leaves 31 dead, with 27 HANGED
1. Massacre in Machala Prison
The attack in Machala’s prison left 31 inmates dead and many “hanged or asphyxiated” after hours of gunfire and explosions.
Tactical units entered only after the bloodshed, finding more than 30 inmates and a police officer wounded.
2. A System Overrun by Gangs
The violence reflects a prison system largely controlled by criminal groups.
Facilities now operate as “command centers for drug-trafficking networks,”
extending their reach from crowded cells to international cocaine routes.
3. Fragile Order, Constant Risk
Authorities say every prison “reorganization” or transfer can spark another conflict,
underscoring how easily unrest spreads within Ecuador’s fractured penitentiary network.
4. Families Caught in Fear
While President Daniel Noboa vows a tougher stance, families gather outside prison gates,
holding lists of names and dreading “the silence that means their loved one will only be found on a slab of cold steel.”
