Prisoners at the Barinas penitentiary in western Venezuela staged a rooftop protest on Sunday, piling burning mattresses and calling for the removal of the prison director, whom they accused of permitting guards to shoot unarmed inmates.
In video footage shared on X by the Venezuelan Prison Observatory, a local non-governmental organization, a man appears with a bullet wound to his chest as inmates chant demands. "We want justice. They are shooting us, the guards and the wardens," a prisoner is heard saying in the clip.
Those inside the facility told the NGO they had been conducting a peaceful demonstration when prison staff opened fire, wounding several people. The detainees also accused the newly appointed director, Elvis Macuare Guerrero, of presiding over a regime in which their clothing was confiscated, visits were banned and they were pressured to sell drugs.
Venezuelan authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the events.
Outside the prison, relatives of inmates clashed with National Guard officers equipped with riot shields. Witnesses who spoke to the Venezuelan Prison Observatory said the families attempted, without success, to stop officers from entering the area. They reported hearing screams and explosions minutes after the officers entered the facility grounds.
The NGO said it was documenting the disturbances and forwarding information to human rights watchdogs as part of its reporting on the episode.
The unrest comes amid increased international scrutiny of Venezuela's prison system. The government of interim President Delcy Rodriguez recently passed a law to release hundreds of people considered political prisoners. The reporting also notes that in January, the U.S. attacked Caracas and captured then-President Nicolas Maduro.
Observers and family members remain concerned about the immediate welfare of those inside Barinas and the broader implications for oversight and accountability in Venezuelan detention facilities. The Venezuelan Prison Observatory is continuing to collect evidence and testimony in order to inform human rights groups and other relevant entities.
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