Venezuelan Prisoners Seize Prison in Protest Against Torture and Gunfire

Central News Agency, Barinas, May 25. Hundreds of prisoners in Barinas, Venezuela, seized control of a prison today, accusing authorities of torture and demanding the removal of the prison warden. According to AFP reporters on the scene, smoke billowed from the prison as inmates burned mattresses and sheets. Prisoners gathered on the roof, shouting 'Stop the torture!' and hanging banners reading 'SOS' and 'They are torturing us.' Reuters reported that in videos shared on X by the local NGO 'Venezuelan Prison Observatory' (OVP), an inmate with a visible gunshot wound to the chest said, 'We want justice; the guards and the warden are shooting at us.' In multiple videos, inmates collectively demanded the removal of the newly appointed warden, Elvis Macuare Guerrero, accusing the prison of confiscating clothing, banning family visits, and forcing inmates to sell drugs. They claimed they were protesting peacefully when prison staff suddenly opened fire, causing multiple injuries. The OVP noted that 1,200 men and over 100 women have joined the protest, accusing the government department in charge of prisons of 'completely ignoring these inmates, who have been complaining of abuse for over a week.' The prison is currently surrounded by armed police with riot shields, while dozens of family members wait anxiously nearby. Yelitza Arroyo, a family member of an inmate, told AFP she had not heard from her son since May 8. 'They are suffering because the prison staff is beating them severely, torturing them with cold water, electric shocks, and arson. We demand the removal of the warden,' she said.