Prison officials said 27 prisoners died from “immediate death by hanging” inside the Machala facility on Sunday, hours after an armed clash at the same site killed four others and wounded dozens.

They linked the unrest to a contentious plan to reorganize inmates ahead of transfers to a new maximum-security prison built under President Daniel Noboa.

Asphyxiation Deaths In Machala Prison

Ecuador’s SNAI prison agency said 27 inmates in Machala were found dead by hanging, described as “immediate death by asphyxiation,” while four others were killed earlier in a separate armed clash.

The riot began around 3 a.m., with residents hearing gunfire, explosions, and screams before police regained control. Officials reported 33 injured inmates and one wounded officer, adding that forensic teams are still working inside to confirm identities and determine how the deaths occurred.

Transfer To New Maximum-Security Prison

SNAI said the riot began after plans to reorganize inmates ahead of transfers to a new maximum-security prison set to open this month.

The move is part of President Noboa’s security plan to isolate gang leaders and regain control of prisons used as drug-trafficking centers.

Authorities have not identified the groups involved or confirmed if the violence was linked to gang rivalries but described the unrest as another pushback by criminal networks against government efforts to weaken their influence.

Systemic Crisis In Ecuador’s Jails

The Machala prison has faced repeated violence, including a September clash that left 13 inmates and one officer dead, with earlier counts reporting 14 dead and 14 injured.

Days later, another riot in Esmeraldas killed at least 17 people. Ecuador’s prisons remain overcrowded, corrupt, and dominated by gangs tied to Colombian and Mexican cartels, serving as hubs for extortion and drug trafficking.

Since 2021, over 500 inmates have died in riots and massacres, and last year’s unrest saw about 150 guards briefly taken hostage, underscoring the worsening crisis now deepened by the latest 31 deaths.