Detainees at a correctional facility in Venezuela’s Barinas region climbed onto the building’s roof Sunday in a dramatic demonstration against alleged violence by guards and administrative misconduct.
The inmates set mattresses ablaze during their rooftop demonstration and demanded the dismissal of the facility’s administrator, claiming guards had fired weapons at unarmed detainees.
“We want justice. They are shooting us, the guards and the wardens,” one detainee stated in footage distributed by the Venezuelan Prison Observatory, a local advocacy organization, on X. The video showed an individual with what appeared to be a gunshot injury to his torso.
The demonstrating prisoners maintained they were conducting a peaceful protest when correctional staff discharged firearms, resulting in injuries to some detainees.
Government officials in Venezuela have not yet provided a response to inquiries about the incident.
In footage circulated by the advocacy group, detainees demanded the dismissal of the newly installed facility administrator Elvis Macuare Guerrero. The prisoners alleged their garments had been confiscated, family visits had been prohibited, and they faced coercion to participate in narcotics trafficking.
Relatives of the detainees confronted National Guard personnel equipped with protective shields outside the facility, attempting without success to prevent their entry. These family members reported to the advocacy organization that they heard shouting and explosive sounds shortly after the officers went inside.
The advocacy organization stated it was recording the incidents and would submit reports to human rights monitoring agencies.
Venezuela’s correctional system has drawn international attention as the administration of interim President Delcy Rodriguez enacted legislation to free hundreds of individuals classified as political detainees. The U.S. launched an operation against Caracas in January, resulting in the capture of then-President Nicolas Maduro.
