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**Summary:**
Ecuador is facing a severe crisis of prison violence. A second deadly prison riot this week has left at least 17 dead in Esmeraldas, following a previous riot in Machala that killed 14. These riots are fueled by gang violence, with inmates often killed in brutal ways. Ecuador’s prisons have become a battleground for rival gangs with ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels, vying for control of drug trafficking routes. President Noboa previously declared a state of emergency and deployed the military but has since returned some prisons to police control. The country’s location between major cocaine producers has exacerbated the violence.
**News Article:**
**Ecuador Prison Violence Escalates: Another Deadly Riot Claims 17 Lives**
**Esmeraldas, Ecuador –** At least 17 inmates have been killed in a violent prison riot in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, marking the second deadly incident within the country’s troubled prison system this week. The latest bloodshed occurred on Thursday in the coastal city near the Colombian border, with reports indicating that prisoners were found dead within their cellblocks, some decapitated. Images circulating on social media depicted graphic scenes of blood-soaked torsos.
This incident follows a riot earlier in the week at a prison in Machala, southern Ecuador, where gang fighting resulted in 14 deaths and numerous injuries. The situation in Machala also involved the killing of a guard and the kidnapping of officers, highlighting the brazen control gangs exert within these facilities.
Ecuador’s prisons have become notorious for extreme violence. A previous riot in Guayaquil in 2021 left over 100 inmates dead, and an estimated 500 inmates have been killed since February 2021.
The current crisis is fueled by escalating gang wars, as rival groups vie for dominance. Ecuador’s strategic location between Colombia and Peru, the world’s top cocaine producers, has made it a key transit point for drug trafficking. Government data indicates that over 70% of the world’s cocaine now passes through Ecuadorian ports.
Last year, President Daniel Noboa declared a state of “internal armed conflict” after the jailbreak of a narcotics boss and subsequent hostage situations. While the military was initially deployed, some prisons, including the Machala facility, were recently returned to police control. The ongoing violence raises serious questions about the government’s ability to effectively manage the prison system and combat the growing influence of organized crime within its borders.
First Piper 