Inmates Seize Venezuelan Prison, Set Fire to Protest Alleged Torture and Abuse
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- •Hundreds of inmates at Barinas Judicial Detention Center in western Venezuela took control of the prison on Sunday, setting mattresses and sheets on fire to protest alleged torture and abuse.
- •Families of inmates gathered outside the prison, alleging severe mistreatment, including beatings, electrocution, and burns, with one woman claiming she had not heard from her imprisoned son since May 8.
- •Venezuela’s prison system has faced long-standing criticism from human rights groups for issues such as overcrowding, food shortages, lack of medical care, and systemic abuse, with a recent riot at Yare III prison resulting in five deaths.
- •UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk raised concerns in March 2026 about ongoing torture in Venezuelan prisons, noting that abuses persisted even after President Nicolás Maduro was removed from power in January 2026.
Hundreds of inmates at the Barinas Judicial Detention Center in western Venezuela took control of the prison on Sunday, setting mattresses and sheets ablaze to protest alleged torture and abuse. The protestors chanted “No more torture!” as thick smoke billowed from the facility, drawing immediate attention to the dire conditions inside the prison.
