Inmates rebel in prison in Buenos Aires over coronavirus fears
For fear of being infected with the novel coronavirus, prisoners at a detention centre in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires on Friday protested against the hygienic conditions at the facility.
Prisoners in a federal prison in the Villa Devoto district set fire to mattresses and threw stones, chairs, and metal parts from the roof of the detention centre onto the police on the ground, images on TN television showed.
A banner read: “We refuse to die in prison.”
The prisoners demanded that security measures be implemented in the detention centre to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
They also demanded that members of risk groups be transferred to house arrest.
After hours of negotiations between representatives of the justice ministry, the prison administration and prisoner representatives, the prisoners stood down their protest for the time being on Friday evening.
On Saturday, a delegation from the authorities is to inspect the damage at the detention centre and then negotiate with the prisoners about transfers to house arrest, among other things.
Recently the Supreme Criminal Court had recommended that pre-trial detainees, prisoners with sentences under three years, pregnant women and older prisoners be released into house arrest.
Read also: Face mask not a solution to the virus but for protection
Prison riots have occurred repeatedly throughout Latin America over the past few weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In the often overcrowded detention centres, people have poor access to hot water, soap and medical care.
“Physical distance and self-isolation are practically impossible under such conditions,” said the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. (dpa)
