New Ecuadorian Bukele-Style Supermax Prison Advances as Government Battles Gang Control

Ecuador has finished 35% of a new maximum-security prison on the country’s coast, according to the national prison authority.

The government is spending $52 million on this project in Santa Elena, aiming to house up to 880 of Ecuador’s most dangerous inmates. Officials want the facility completed within 300 days, but progress has been slower than planned.

This prison is being built because Ecuador’s existing prisons are overcrowded and violent. As of May 2025, the country held 34,771 inmates in facilities built for just 27,635.

That means Ecuador’s prisons are running at 125% capacity. Overcrowding has fueled deadly riots and gang control. Since 2021, more than 600 inmates have died in prison violence, with 37 deaths in 2024 alone.

President Daniel Noboa’s government declared a state of emergency in January 2024 after a wave of riots and a notorious gang leader’s escape. The military now controls the prisons.

The new facility, inspired by high-security models in the United States and El Salvador, will have tall walls, six guard towers, advanced cameras, and biometric security.

Officials say this will limit contact between staff and inmates, making it harder for gangs to operate from inside. Local communities worry about the prison’s impact.

Some have protested, fearing environmental damage and safety risks. The government says the project will create jobs, but many residents remain concerned.

Ecuador’s security crisis has hurt business and daily life. The country’s homicide rate reached 44.5 per 100,000 people in 2024, the highest in South America.

Criminal gangs have disrupted trade and scared away investment. The government hopes that isolating gang leaders in the new prison will help restore order and confidence.

Still, experts warn that building new prisons alone will not solve Ecuador’s problems. The country needs deeper reforms to fix its justice system, reduce corruption, and address harsh drug laws that fill prisons with low-level offenders.

Ecuador’s new prison is a bold move to tackle a serious crisis. Its success will depend on whether it can truly break gang power and support broader reforms. The world is watching to see if this approach can bring lasting change.