In a decisive step to address surging gang violence and chronic overcrowding in its prison system, Ecuador has moved 300 of its most dangerous inmates into a newly opened maximum-security institution on the coast. The transfer comes in the wake of a riot that claimed 31 lives, signaling the government’s determination to re-assert control over its correctional facilities.
New stronghold for high-risk prisoners
The first group of 300 high-risk offenders were transferred to the facility in the coastal province of Santa Elena, according to President Daniel Noboa. The inmates, identified as the most dangerous in the system, were moved into the new complex following the deadly unrest at another prison. The new institution has the capacity to hold more than 700 inmates and is designed with stringent security measures to cut off communication and coordination from within the cellblocks.
The transfer is part of a wider strategy by the government to curtail the influence of organised criminal gangs in Ecuador’s penitentiary system, where many inmates have been found to orchestrate violence from behind bars.
Trigger: Deadly riot sparks urgent action
Authorities reported that at least 31 inmates died at a prison in Machala after violence erupted among rival gangs, including one splinter faction of “Los Lobos”. Of the fatalities, 27 died by asphyxiation during the internal clash. The riot occurred just as the planned transfer of high-risk prisoners was becoming known, prompting officials to warn the era of inmates running prisons was coming to an end.
Interior Minister John Reimberg stated that the violence was triggered when inmates learned of the impending relocation. The incident added urgency to the government’s plan to relieve overcrowded facilities, which are operating at approximately 30 % above capacity.
What it means for prison reform and security
The relocation marks a hardening of Ecuador’s approach to the prison crisis—one characterised by deadly riots, gang rivalries, smuggled weapons, and inmate control over prison operations. By isolating the most dangerous inmates in a facility built for minimal contact and maximum oversight, the government aims to sever the link between the outside criminal networks and internal prison hierarchies.
While the move may ease pressure on older facilities, informal observers say long-term success will depend on continued investment in infrastructure, staffing, rehabilitation programmes and vigilance against corruption that has allowed gangs to thrive inside the system.
