On 25 January 2013, a riot began at Uribana prison in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Initial reports gave at least 50 people killed and over 120 people injured,[2][3][4][5] and by 27 January a death toll of 61 was reported.[1] Officials on the first day of the riot faulted media for breaking news in advance that the prison would be searched by the military.[6] As the riot continued into a second day, human rights groups faulted overcrowding and conditions in the gang-dominated prison.[6]
| 2013 Uribana prison riot | |
|---|---|
| Location | Uribana prison, Barquisimeto, Venezuela |
| Date | 25–26 January 2013 |
| Target | Venezuelan National Guard members |
| Deaths | 61[1] |
| Injured | 120 |
Outbreak
editThe riot was reportedly triggered by an announcement that, in an anti-gang measure, Venezuelan National Guard troops would be searching for weapons.[2] The inmates were reportedly waiting for the National Guard when they arrived.[2] Most injuries were from gunshot wounds.[2] Bodies have been described as unidentifiable due to their mutilation. Due to the mutilation, officials were charged for a violation of human rights.[6]
Response
editIn a press statement on the first day of the riot, minister of penitentiary services Iris Varela laid blame on the local media for reporting the prison search ahead of time, stating that many of the deaths were a "settling of scores" among rival prison gangs.[6] Human rights groups blamed overcrowding and inhumane conditions, as well as poor execution and unnecessary force.[6] Unnamed critics of the government noted that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights had called on president Hugo Chávez in 2007 to relieve conditions there that put visitors, inmates, and guards at risk.[6] The inmates were temporarily removed as a result of two days of rioting.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Hospital: 61 Killed in Venezuela Prison Riot". Time World. 27 January 2013. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Venezuela prison riot 'kills many'". BBC. 26 January 2013.
- ^ "Dozens killed in Venezuela prison riot". Al Jazeera. 26 January 2013.
- ^ "Report: Prison riot kills dozens in Venezuela - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
- ^ "Venezuela prison riot kills dozens: report". Reuters. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Mogollon, Mery; Chris Kraul (26 January 2013). "Prison riot continues in Venezuela with 55 reported dead". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
- ^ "Venezuela shuts Uribana prison as riot death toll rises". The Guardian. 27 January 2013.
