Carabobo fire: 68 dead in Venezuela police station cells

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Carabobo fire: 68 dead in Venezuela police station cells

29 March 2018

Rioting and a fire at a police station in the the Venezuelan city of Valencia, in Carabobo State, have left 68 people dead, government officials say.

Chief State Prosecutor Tarek Saab said an investigation into what had happened would begin immediately.

The blaze reportedly started after prisoners set fire to mattresses in an attempt to break out on Wednesday.

Police had to use tear gas to disperse relatives who surrounded the station after news of the fire broke.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-43579108

[GatoGordo]

1. Another Chavista victory.

I wouldn't be shocked to discover that the jail cells that erupted into a fireball were filled with pro democracy types.

"Ooops! How did that happen?"

[GatoGordo]

2. 24 hours later, and not a peep about it on the state sponsored news in Venezuela?

Reports from various NGO's that monitor prison conditions in Venezuela estimate that overcrowding has surpassed 250% of capacity.

[GatoGordo]

3. Prisons minister silent on riot that left nearly 70 dead

24 hours after the mutiny in PoliCarabobo, Iris's silence deafened public opinion
Mar 29, 2018 6:06 pm

One day has passed after the mutiny generated in the Commandery of Policarabobo, without Iris Varela, minister for the Penitentiary Service, pronounce on what happened and that becomes the worst tragedy in a prison in the history of Venezuela, with 68 deaths.

The information ran like wildfire, but without precision. The regional media rambled with figures between 40 and 80 deceased. Desolate and desperate, the families of the prisoners crowded the outskirts of the preventive center, where they even confronted the police forces and were repelled with tear gas.

Finally, late at night and after several hours the prosecutor appointed by the Cuban Constituent, Tarek William Sabb indicated via Twitter that there were 68 dead in a "presumed fire".

For its part, the reaction of the governor of Carabobo, Rafael Lacava arrived Thursday through a brief statement, where he regretted the fact and promised to investigate.

However, the tragedy has shaken the public opinion, under the deafening silence of Varela, who surely read on Thursday the position of the UN that was declared "shocked" by the event and asked the government of Maduro an investigation.

-snip-

https://www.lapatilla.com/site/2018/03/29/a-24-horas-del-motin-en-policarabobo-el-silencio-de-iris-ensordece-a-la-opinion-publica/