Behind the scenes of Venezuela’s deadly prison fire

A fire killed scores of inmates after a riot in a Venezuelan jail in the early morning hours of March 28. Sixty-six detainees died in the flames, as did two female visitors. The incident was horrifying, but it was not a surprise for those familiar with the state of the country’s prison system. Prison violence has long been common in Venezuela. In 1992 at least 63 inmates were killed in the Retén de Catia prison, which was later demolished after Pope John Paul II visited and called for more humane living conditions. In 1994, 108 people died in a jailhouse riot in the state of Zulia. And in 1996, 29 inmates were burned alive when the National Guard set fire to La Planta prison in Caracas. Between 2012 and 2017 alone, 135 people were killed in four different prison riots across Venezuela. More…