Ecuador transfers 300 high-risk inmates to new maximum-security prison amid gang crisis
Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, has announced the transfer of some 300 of the country’s most dangerous inmates to a newly completed high-security prison, just days after a deadly riot rocked a major facility in the south.
The facility, known as the “Cárcel del Encuentro” and located in Santa Elena province, is described by the government as a state-of-the-art prison designed to regain control over a penal system plagued by gang violence. It has been equipped with advanced surveillance systems and built to hold around 800 inmates.
These developments carry implications beyond Ecuador’s borders. With transnational criminal organisations increasingly exploiting regional prison systems, the transfer signals a tougher posture toward organised crime. The move also echoes a broader trend in Latin America of governments adopting stricter security measures in response to systemic incarceration crises.
At the same time, human rights observers warn of the risks of ultra-secure prisons becoming instruments of repression rather than rehabilitation. The shift raises questions about oversight, the rights of detainees, and the balance between security and State accountability—issues that resonate globally amid debates on mass imprisonment, prison conditions and criminal justice reform.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
