Last Updated on March 23, 2020, 2:24 AM AST by Anthony Morris
It has been reported that at least 23 people have died in a prison riot on Sunday in Bogotá, Colombia.
The Officials said that the prisoners tried to escape in the cover of the tensions which have been rising over the spread of the novel coronavirus.
It has been said that the inmates all across the country were protesting against the overcrowding and inadequate health facilities during the outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus. The inmates at La Modelo prison had planned to escape during the same.
The Justice Minister of Colombia, Margarita Cabello, said that 83 prisoners were also injured during the riot. She also said that seven guards and 32 prisoners had been hospitalized, and two guards were in critical condition.
An investigation into the matter is being done by The Justice Ministry.
Cabello noted that inmates at prisons all across the country had planned the protests and that 13 other facilities had also reported incidents of disturbances
Cabello said that there was a sanitary problem in the prisons which would have led to these riots and this plan. Hence, she denied the possibility of poor sanitation in the prisons amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.
She asserted on the point that neither is there any other infection spread in the prisons nor has any prisoner or custodial or administrative staffer tested positive for coronavirus.
Relatives of the inmates had gathered outside the gates of La Modelo prison after they got the news about the riots, and they wanted to ensure the well being of their loved ones. The relatives of the inmates said that they had heard the sounds of shots being fired after the security forces had arrived. Videos posted on social media also showed some inmates setting mattresses on fire.
According to the facts shared by the Ministry of Justice, Colombia has a total of 132 prisons across the country and a total inmate capacity of around 81,000 inmates. Still, around 121,000 prisoners have been held in those prisons.
To date, Colombia has reported two deaths and 231 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.
The country would be soon launching a nationwide quarantine on Tuesday, which would last for around 19 days.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
