SUMMARY

Los Lobos and R7 were two prison gangs operating Ecuador. Los Lobos was a mega gang operating in several of the country’s prisons, whereas R7 was a gang mainly operating in the costal regions networking between the mega gangs existing in Ecuador’s prisons.

The alliance between the two gangs broke down as a result of prison violence in 2022. The first massacre took place in Turi prison in Azuay province in April causing the death of 20 inmates and the other in Bellavista prison in Santa Domingo de los Tsachilas in May resulting in 44 casualties. Both massacres were ordered by Anchundia, the leader of R7.

The non-state conflict between Los Lobos and R7 was first included in UCDP data in 2022. In May of that year, in prison fights between the two gangs resulted in more than 25 battle-related deaths.