Riots broke out in two prisons in Ecuador, resulting in eight deaths and ten injuries, while authorities prepare to transfer the perpetrators to a maximum-security prison.
On 23 Oct 2026 GMT+7, Ecuadorian prison officials reported riots in two prisons, causing eight deaths and ten injuries. Four died at Cotopaxi prison and four at Pichincha prison. Officials said they have identified those responsible and plan to transfer them to the maximum-security prison El Encuentro, built under President Daniel Noboa's administration to detain the country's most wanted criminals.
Ecuador has faced ongoing prison violence since 2021, with over 500 inmates killed in such incidents. Despite deploying the military to control some prisons, drug gangs continue to challenge state authority from inside, ordering killings and collecting protection money behind bars.
Source: AFP