A riot has broken out in an overcrowded prison in the west of the country. 49 people were killed.
Inmates at the windows of La Modelo prison in Bogota, March 2020.
(dpa) According to media reports, dozens of people have been killed in a prisoner mutiny in a prison in Colombia. The prisoners had set mattresses on fire in the Tuluá prison in the west of the country, the newspaper “El Tiempo” reported on Tuesday, citing the head of the prison system, General Tito Castellanos. 49 people were killed and around 30 others were injured, including law enforcement officials.
“We regret the events in Tuluá prison,” wrote President Ivan Duque on Twitter. “I have ordered investigations to clarify this terrible situation. My solidarity goes to the families of the victims.”
With around 1,200 inmates, the Tuluá prison in the Valle de Cauca department is 17 percent overcrowded, according to media reports. Prisons across Latin America are often overcrowded. In addition, many prisons are controlled by crime syndicates.