Eight dead, 10 injured in Ecuador prison riots: officials

Eight inmates were killed and 10 injured in near-simultaneous prison riots at Ecuador’s Cotopaxi No. 1 prison in Latacunga and Pichincha No. 1, known as El Inca, in northern Quito on Thursday, October 22.

Ecuador’s prison authority, SNAI, confirmed four deaths at each facility; all 10 injured were receiving medical care.

At the Cotopaxi penetentiary, "the death of four persons deprived of liberty" was reported, and another four died at the Pichincha prison, corrections officials said.

What happened

Authorities said the violence began in the afternoon, with reports of gunfire and disturbances inside both prisons.

At El Inca, forensic personnel reported bodies with gunshot and knife wounds, while preliminary information pointed to a dispute between criminal gangs. Security forces sealed access routes near the Quito facility as operations continued.

SNAI said suspected participants had been identified and would be transferred to El Encuentro prison.

Its security bloc activated protocols and carried out operations to restore order.

Context

Ecuador’s prisons have long been contested by drug gangs, including groups linked to transnational trafficking networks. The riots broke a relatively long period without mass prison killings following President Daniel Noboa’s security interventions, according to EFE.

Days earlier, SNAI began reclassifying 9,214 inmates in Cotopaxi, Azuay, Tungurahua, and Chimborazo by security risk, a measure intended to weaken criminal groups inside prisons.

The new violence raises questions over whether transfers and classification have instead heightened tensions among rival factions.

What’s next

Forensic investigations are expected to follow to identify the dead, alongside medical updates on the injured, and possible disciplinary or criminal proceedings.

Authorities will likely conduct cell-by-cell searches, review intelligence failures, and continue transferring high-risk inmates. Families and rights groups may demand independent scrutiny of prison conditions and security protocols.