Venezuela inmates occupy prison roof and set fire to mattresses to protest alleged abuses

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CARCAS: Over 1,300 inmates at the western Barinas prison in Venezuela staged a dramatic protest on Sunday, occupying the facility's roof to demonstrate against alleged severe human rights abuses.

Protesters piled up and set fire to mattresses and sheets, sending massive columns of smoke into the sky. Inmates chanted ‘No more torture!’ and displayed ‘SOS’ banners visible to the surrounding areas.

The prisoners allege they were conducting a peaceful protest when prison staff suddenly opened fire on them. Videos surfaced online showing at least one inmate suffering a bullet wound to the chest.

The mutinying inmates are demanding the immediate removal of the prison director, accusing him of overseeing guards who shot unarmed prisoners. They also protest being stripped of clothes and banned from visits.

Outside the facility, anxious family members clashed with National Guard officers in riot gear. Relatives reported hearing screams and explosions as forces pushed inside the prison.