Ecuadorian Prison Riots

Date: February 23, 2021 • Location: Rome, Italy

Riots in four Ecuadorian prisons, caused by gang rivalries, resulted in the deaths of 79 inmates.

On 23 February 2021, 79 inmates were killed and several others were injured in riots that took place simultaneously in four Ecuadorian prisons. Authorities have cited gang rivalry in an overcrowded prison system as the cause. The violence happened in prisons located in the Guayas, Azuay, and Cotopaxi provinces, which contain nearly 70% of the total prison population in the country.