The death toll in David Vilora prison, western Venezuela reached a staggering 35 as government authorities confirmed that another 20 inmates out of 100 other suspected drug overdoses were critical in comas. Prisoners on hunger strike for better conditions in the vastly overcrowded prison are said to have stormed an infirmary and raided the drugs for the treatment of diabetes, epilepsy and high blood pressure, inmates then mixed them with a large quantity of pure alcohol made from grain. Human rights activist's accused the authorities of with holding information on the figures and the only way of varifying was to visit the local morgue.
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| Venezualan riot police guard the morgue |
As of the end of June 2014 Venezuela's prison population was more than 55,000, while penal facilities have room for 19,000. Sixty-five percent of those in jail are still awaiting trial. Relatives of the dead blamed prison guards for the deaths and police have arrested Julio Cesar Perez, the warden of the prison and are preparing to file charges against him. President Nicolas Maduro has yet to comment on the incident in frequent television appearances this week even as calls for a thorough investigation have come from the Roman Catholic leaders in Venezuela and from the United Nations human rights agency. President Maduro is now under pressure from the Committe Against Torture to investigate not only this incident but the many numerous claims of beatings, burnings and electric shock of detainees in order to extract confessions. Venezuela should "guarantee that all complaints and all cases of torture and abuse of detainees are investigated in a prompt and exhaustive manner" the report said.
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