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Subscribe to RSSMore than 20 people died in clashes between armed gangs at a Venezuelan prison over the weekend, a government official was quoted as saying on Monday.
Prisons Minister Iris Varela said on state television that "more than 20" had died in the Yare I prison in the coastal state of Miranda, including family members who had been visiting when the violence broke out on Sunday, El Economista reported. (Link to story in Spanish)
Most of the dead, however, were members of two groups that are "heavily armed inside the prison," the minister was quoted as saying.
Those behind the killings will be "made to answer" for their actions, Varela said, according to the BBC.
AFP quoted the Venezuelan Prison Observatory, a non-governmental group, as saying that more than 300 inmates have been killed in the country's prisons since the start of the year. More than 500 died in 2011, the BBC reported, citing the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
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According to government figures, 50,000 prisoners are housed in a system built for 14,000 inmates, AFP added.
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Sounds like Hugo found away to reduce the prison population, arm them.
I like it when gangsters kill other gangsters. That means it's that much safer for law-abiding people when the surviving punks get out of prison. I feel the same when Muslims kill Muslims. That means fewer western military are in danger and civilization as we know it might still be salvaged.
If Obama had his way he'd probably fly to Venezuela right now and offer the rest of the prisoners green cards and a bus tour of America....As long as they vote for him that is.....Vote for some real change in 2012 and get this Socialist Loser out of the Oval Office while there's still something left to save
What?
The prison/penitentiary killings were turf war between 2 inmate gangs on Sunday when they had visitors- one inmate's relative was slain in the violence. Their prisons are so crowded- this penitentiary -Yare I should have only 14,000 inmates- they have 50,000+. The inmates have access to guns (hopefully not the fast and fdurious guns) and drugs because of corrupt guards (bribery). What is unknown to others are the crimes committed by these inmates,since in Venezuela like in Egypt or Turkey or Saudi Arabia one can be found criminal due to one's opinions.
Minister Varela does not have a clue on managing prisons specially overcrowded facilities, 50K into a designed space for 14K inmates. By his own admission, prisoners were "heavily armed inside the prison," really? Besides the large criminal element, the facts are, many people in Venezuela's prisons also go to prison for disagreeing Hugo's policies or voicing political discontent like in Cuba.
Under Hugo, Venezuela is by far one of the most dangerous countries in the world. They triple the murder rate of Iraq. The economy continues to shrink with the highest inflation rate in the Americas while police recruits get training from advisers from Cuba.
Venezuela is what it is because of Hugo ideology, hunger, crime, lack of economical power, and corruption. The socialist plan by Hugo Chavez for a Cuban-style authoritarian government will never work. Venezuela just keeps sliding further into tyranny.
I'm amazed that Hugo has not blamed us for the riots. Seems he blames most other things that go wrong in Venezuela as a result of his inept and corrupt rule on us!