"It is unacceptable that an inspection, which should be part of daily operations, leads to so much violence. This clearly shows -one more time- the crisis that the penitentiary system faces. It has definitely reached alarming levels," Amnesty International remarked in a statement.
Non-governmental organization International Amnesty has requested the Venezuelan authorities to conduct an independent, objective, and unbiased inquiry into the a violent riot recorded Uribana prison, northwest Venezuela, on January 25.
According to the Ministry of Penitentiary Affairs, in an attempt to disarm inmates, authorities tried to conduct an inspection inside the penitentiary, yet the operation resulted in the death of at least 58 and over 90 injured.
"It is unacceptable that an inspection, which should be part of daily operations, leads to so much violence. This clearly shows -one more time- the crisis that the penitentiary system faces. It has definitely reached alarming levels," Amnesty International remarked in a statement.
Amnesty International has repeatedly called upon Venezuelan authorities to take steps on this serious matter. "Unfortunately, unless serious actions are taken to deal with all the problems associated to the penitentiary system, such events will continue happening," the NGO said.