Venezuela finally breaks silence over prison riot that killed dozens; assures investigation
Venezuela’s government broke its silence about a riot and fire in a police station’s cells that killed dozens of prisoners on Wednesday, issuing a statement on Friday night sending condolences to relatives and promising an investigation.
“The Bolivarian government of the Venezuelan republic … sends its profound condolences to the relatives and loved ones of each of the people who died in this unfortunate incident,” the statement by the Foreign Ministry read.
The statement did not give any details on the cause of the disaster, which inmates’ relatives and a surviving prisoner told Reuters stemmed from a shootout with police in an overcrowded and lawless jail.
Venezuela’s opposition says leftist president Nicolas Maduro’s response to the 68 deaths in Valencia has been woefully insufficient. Maduro has yet to personally speak about the incident and has instead been tweeting about Easter holidays, a visit by Hollywood actor Danny Glover, and the upcoming presidential election.
In its statement, Venezuela also criticized the United Nations human rights office for “precipitated and disproportionate” comments about the disaster.
From Geneva, the United Nations had called on Venezuelan authorities to carry out a speedy investigation and provide reparations to victims’ families.
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry said those comments betrayed “bias” and were part …read more
