Venezuelan authorities have discovered 106 firearms and over 8,000 rounds of ammunition in Uribana prison, which was evicted last month after a deadly riot left 60 dead and over 120 wounded.
A massacre in a Venezuelan prison that resulted in more than 60 dead and 120 wounded on Friday has generated a flurry of criticism of the Venezuelan government for the situation in the country’s prison system.
Minister for Penitentiary Services, Iris Valera, announced that for the first time ever, inmates voted in favor of President Hugo Chavez in the recent Presidential elections.
The Venezuelan government has reported that Yare prison in the northern state of Miranda is now under control after violent clashes between inmates last Sunday led to the deaths of 25 people.
Following its closure last weekend, La Planta prison in Caracas is to be converted into a community centre using proposals from local community organisations.
On Thursday night Venezuelan authorities regained control of La Planta prison in Caracas after an outbreak of violence between prisoners. The government pledged to guarantee the human rights of inmates and is transferring them to other penitentiary facilities ahead of La Planta’s closure.
By Adriana Gregson and Akaida Libertad Orozco Díaz - Encontrarte, Feb 20th 2012
In this interview, Adriana Gregson talks about the pilot initiative which she set up at a young offenders' institute in Caracas. The project, which was set up with government funding, allows incarcerated youths to produce radio programmes with a political content for the community.
Venezuelan Minister of Prison Affairs, Iris Varela, announced that a program called “Llego La Chamba” (or Work Has Arrived, in Spanish) aimed at generating productive jobs for inmates in the country began Wednesday.
Reforms to humanise Venezuela’s prison system moved ahead this week with the launch of a program in which inmates work to restore and improve prison facilities, while prison affairs minister Iris Valera reported progress in tackling delays in the judicial processing of prisoners.
Minister for Prison Services Iris Varela informed yesterday that families have “self-kidnapped” themselves in the Yare 1 prison in Miranda state in order to make political demands, while over Christmas President Hugo Chavez issued a presidential pardon for 141 prisoners.
