Human Rights NGOs call for inquiry into Venezuelan prison riot

A number of human rights non-governmental organizations on Wednesday requested the Venezuelan Attorney General's Office to conduct an inquiry into a riot that took place on January 25 in Uribana prison, northwest Venezuela, where 58 people were killed and more than 100 injured. 

The NGOs -Una Ventana a la Libertad (A Window to Freedom), Control Ciudadano para la Seguridad, la Defensa y la Fuerza Armada Nacional (Citizen Control for Security Defense and the National Armed Force), Observatorio Venezolano de Conflictividad Social (Venezuelan Watchdog for Social Conflict), and Instituto Prensa y Sociedad de Venezuela (Venezuela's Press & Society Institute, IPYS)- called for sanctions against those responsible for the incidents in Uribana prison.

Further, the NGOs asked authorities to provide the names of the casualties and inform their relatives about their fate. To date, the bodies have not been identified, nor has information concerning the cause of death been released.

The NGOs hope the Attorney General's Office acts promptly with the investigation, adding that past investigations into similar incidents have borne no fruits.

Translated by Jhean Cabrera