At least ten inmates were found dead this Tuesday, November 18, at the Litoral Penitentiary, Ecuador’s largest prison, located in Guayaquil. The deceased, whose ages ranged from 19 to 49, were found in pavilions one, six, seven, nine, 10, 11, and 12 of the prison, according to reports from the local press and the National Police.

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The massacre occurred at approximately 8:35 a.m., but the responsible institutions—Criminalistics, the National Directorate of Specialized Investigations (DINASED), the Prosecutor’s Office, and the National Service for Comprehensive Care for Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI)—arrived at the scene after 1:30 p.m. Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of death or identified those responsible.

This incident occurred hours after the arrival of 87 inmates transferred from the Machala prison, where a massacre in previous weeks left 31 dead. According to police sources, the transferred inmates belong to the Los Lobos criminal organization, suggesting a possible reconfiguration of alliances or clashes between rival groups within the prison system.

Ecuador is facing a prison crisis that has intensified since 2021, with more than 500 inmates killed in clashes between criminal gangs linked to drug trafficking. Since January 2024, the country’s prisons have been under military control, following President Daniel Noboa’s declaration of an internal armed conflict as a measure to combat organized crime.

The violence in the prisons is part of a broader context of growing insecurity in the country: Ecuador has recorded more than 7,000 homicides so far in 2025, according to official data.

Authorities have not issued an official statement regarding the origin of the massacre, nor have they revealed whether security forces intervened during the incident. It has also not been confirmed whether the inmates transferred from Machala were directly involved in the events.

The Litoral Penitentiary, overcrowded and with limited control, remains the epicenter of prison violence in Ecuador. Mass transfers between penitentiary centers, without adequate security protocols, have been identified by experts as a recurring risk factor.

In September, Ecuador witnessed two more massacres in prisons: one in Esmeraldas and another in Machala, reflecting a deepening structural crisis. Over the past five years, the prison system has become fertile ground for the growth of criminal networks, fueled by failed reforms, state corruption, and institutional neglect.

Far from fulfilling their rehabilitative function, prisons have become economic hubs for crime. From there, criminal organizations operate, managing multimillion-dollar illicit businesses, expanding their influence into the streets, and establishing links with transnational drug trafficking networks. This situation highlights the collapse of the prison system and the urgent need for a comprehensive response from the Ecuadorian state.

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