A brutal outbreak of gang violence at the El Oro prison in Machala has left at least 31 inmates dead, marking one of the deadliest prison incidents in Ecuador this year.
The violence began in the early hours of Sunday, December 21, 2025, with initial clashes between rival factions resulting in four deaths and more than 30 injuries.
However, the scale of the tragedy grew significantly hours later when security guards, responding to a secondary surge of violence, discovered another 27 inmates who had been hanged on the third floor of the facility.
Ecuador’s prison agency, SNAI, indicated that the bloodshed was triggered by inmate resistance to government plans to transfer high-profile prisoners to a newly constructed facility. El Oro prison, located in the center of Machala, has long been a flashpoint for conflict, including a similar incident in September that claimed 14 lives.
The latest massacre underscores the ongoing challenge of managing the country’s overcrowded penal system, which has become a primary battleground for powerful cartels like Los Lobos and Los Choneros – groups recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the United States.
In response to the recurring violence, President Daniel Noboa’s administration is nearing the completion of “El Encuentro,” a high-security prison in Santa Elena province designed to isolate gang leaders.
While the Interior Ministry promises that the new facility will be equipped with advanced security technology to curb the influence of prison-based cartels, residents and relatives of the deceased continue to demand the immediate relocation of the Machala jail.
For now, the city remains under heavy guard as authorities work to secure the facility and prevent further retaliatory strikes between the warring factions.
