Prisoners of Miguel Castro Castro Jail in Peru staged a riot after more than 600 inmates tested positive for coronavirus.


Prisoners Stage a Riot in Peru

Miguel Castro Castro Jail in Peru has a capacity of fewer than 2,000 people, but at present, it has more than 5,500 inmates. This is one of the places on earth where social distancing could never be implemented due to the vast number of people sharing such a small area.

It was reported that 600 inmates in the prison became infected with COVID-19. It raised fears so much in the inmates that it forced them to riot in hopes of a possible breakout. The riot happened on Monday night, but authorities said that prisoners are now under control.

Moreover, the riot led to the death of nine inmates, wounded 60 guards, and five police officers. However, the relatives of inmates who died due to the riot claimed that the police officers opened fire on the prisoners.

Meanwhile, the police authorities are yet to give any comments about the accusation but have said nine inmates have been taken to the morgue for examination and autopsy to determine the cause of death.


Inmates at Lurigancho Staged Also a Protest on Tuesday

Just one day after the riot at Miguel Castro Castro Jail, another riot at Lurigancho, the country's largest prison located north of Lima, occurred. The protest lasted for two hours, where inmates demanded protection against COVID-19.

A banner held by prisoners read, "We're dying. Don't let us die infected. We need medicine." 

The protest only ceased after the warden signed an agreement with the prisoners concerning their medical needs and to protect them from COVID-19, according to a recently published article.

Moreover, Lurigancho jail is a very overcrowded place. It was designed and built for 2,500 prisoners, but at present, they hold more than 10,000 inmates. It's obvious that social distancing is impossible in a place like this.

It can be recalled that Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra announced last week that he would release 3,000 inmates who are vulnerable to the virus as part of the humanitarian pardon to ease the overcrowding and to avoid an increase in the number of infected prisoners. 

Gerson Villar, Peru's National Penitentiary Institute, said that one of the reasons prisoners staged the riot was because they clamored to be included on the list. During the riot, inmates hung signs demanding for their release as they burned mattresses. 

The INPE said that they urged the prisoners to maintain a peaceful coexistence as the country is facing the global pandemic. Villar also said that problems like riots are not new, but was only aggravated due to the fears brought by COVID-19. 

At present, Peru has more than 33,000 cases of COVID-19 and the virus has reportedly claimed the lives of more than 900 according to the real-time website worldometers.


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