GUAYAQUIL — 2021 · Major Tragedy
The Guayaquil Prison Massacre
On the morning of 28 September 2021, fighting with explosives and firearms broke out between rival gangs inside the Litoral Penitentiary in Guayaquil, Ecuador. At least 123 inmates were killed, making it one of the deadliest prison clashes in the country's and Latin America's history. The violence had escalated after the leader of the Los Choneros gang was killed in December 2020 and the gang splintered, with breakaway groups turning on their former leaders. The president declared a state of emergency in the prison system, and on 30 September about 900 police and soldiers entered the prison to restore control. New clashes broke out at the same prison in November 2021. The massacre became a symbol of Ecuador's crisis in confronting organised crime.
- Date
- 2021
- Place
- Litoral Penitentiary, Ecuador, Guayaquil, EC
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- -2.0950, -79.9330 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 28 December 2020The leader of Los Choneros was killed and the gang split.
- 28 September 2021Gang clashes broke out in the prison; at least 123 were killed.
- 29-30 September 2021A state of emergency was declared; 900 police and soldiers entered the prison.
- November 2021Dozens more inmates died in new clashes at the same prison.
Sources
- BBC News — Ecuador riot: anxious families await news after fighting kills 118 inmates bbc.com ↗
- NPR — Dozens of inmates die in a battle between prison gangs in Ecuador npr.org ↗
- Al Jazeera — Dozens of inmates killed in latest Ecuador prison clashes aljazeera.com ↗
- BBC News
- NPR
- Al Jazeera
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.