Eight inmates killed in Ecuador prison riots

On Thursday, October 22, 2026, violent riots erupted in two prisons in Ecuador, resulting in the deaths of eight inmates and injuring approximately ten others. According to the national prison authority, SNAI, four prisoners died at the Cotopaxi prison facility, while another four fatalities occurred at a prison in Pichincha, located near the capital city of Quito.

Authorities have stated that they have identified those responsible for the violence. These individuals are scheduled to be transferred to the El Encuentro maximum-security prison, a facility recently established by the administration of President Daniel Noboa specifically to house the country's most dangerous criminals. The government is currently implementing a new classification system for prisoners based on their risk level, an initiative launched in mid-October aimed at dismantling criminal networks operating within the national penitentiary system.