Venezuela Prison Director Fired After One Week Following Violent Inmate Protests Over Abuse

The director of a prison in the Venezuelan state of Barinas has been dismissed from his post following violent clashes between security forces and inmates who were protesting their alleged mistreatment.

State officials confirmed on Monday that Elvis Macuare Guerrero was removed from his position after serving as the head of the penitentiary for just a single week. Inmates had accused the newly appointed director of halting all family visits and punishing them with solitary confinement. Macuare has not yet made any public statements regarding the allegations or his sudden dismissal.

Allegations of Torture and Cell Raids Trigger Unrest

The prosecutor's office has launched an official investigation into the facility, known locally as Injuba. The inquiry follows severe allegations from inmates, who claim that Macuare ordered violent searches of their cells, subjected them to beatings, and utilized "torture" alongside solitary confinement.

According to the prisoners, their formal complaints were ignored for an entire week. This lack of response ultimately triggered a massive protest, during which inmates climbed onto the prison roof and set fire to mattresses and bed sheets. Extra security forces were deployed to the facility on Sunday, with nearby witnesses reporting explosions and what sounded like gunfire coming from inside the complex.

"They're shooting at us," a man shouts in video footage released by the human rights group Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVP), while others join in a chant of "we want justice."

Inmate Transfers and Systemic Jail Abuse

By Monday, even after the announcement of the director's firing, small groups of inmates remained stationed on the roof. Meanwhile, authorities began moving more than 100 prisoners by bus to alternative penitentiaries. The OVP reported that relatives of the inmates have received no official information regarding these transfers, leaving families increasingly anxious about the safety of their loved ones.

The OVP has long campaigned against the hazardous conditions inside Venezuelan jails, warning that many facilities completely fail to meet the "minimum standards" legally required for human detention.

While Injuba is not a facility where high numbers of political prisoners are typically held, the wider political context in Venezuela remains volatile. Following a U.S. military operation in the capital city of Caracas on January 3 that resulted in the seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, sustained U.S. pressure has successfully led to the release of hundreds of political detainees. However, according to the pressure group Foro Penal, more than 400 political prisoners still remain behind bars.

In light of the riot, Venezuela's Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners expressed solidarity with the Injuba inmates, alleging that "punishment, hunger, solitary confinement, torture and inhumane conditions" were being used to control and subdue prisoners and "formed part of prison policy." Furthermore, in March, the United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stated that his office was still receiving reports of ongoing torture against detainees in Venezuela following Maduro's ouster.
 

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