2018 Valencia, Venezuela fire

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| image = Valencia (Venezuela) Skyline.jpg

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| caption = Valencia, Venezuela, the location of the deadly jail fire

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| date = {{start date|2018|03|28}}

| venue = Jail cells inside a police station

| location = Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela

| coordinates = {{coord|10.189222|-68.002216|display=inline,title}}

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| type = Fire

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| motive = Escape attempt

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| reported deaths = 78+

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On 28 March 2018, a fire broke out during a prison riot in the cells at the Carabobo state police headquarters in Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela. The fire killed at least 68 people{{cite news|last=Hernández|first=Juan Carlos|title=Angry families demand facts on deadly Venezuela jail riot|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/deadly-riot-fire-hit-venezuela-police-station-no-numbers/2018/03/28/971f423a-32f1-11e8-b6bd-0084a1666987_story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180329050627/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/deadly-riot-fire-hit-venezuela-police-station-no-numbers/2018/03/28/971f423a-32f1-11e8-b6bd-0084a1666987_story.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 29, 2018|date=March 29, 2018|work=The Washington Post}} and injured scores of others. The fire is one of the deadliest incidents ever in a Venezuelan prison since the 1994 Sabaneta prison fire, in which more than 100 inmates died.

Four prosecutors have been named to investigate the circumstances preceding the victims' deaths.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/world/americas/venezuela-jail-fire.html |title=Venezuela Jail Fire Killed at Least 68, Attorney General Says |last=Herrero |first=Ana Vanessa |date=March 28, 2018 |work=The New York Times |access-date=March 29, 2018 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights requested an investigation and reparations for the families of the fire victims.

Background

Violence and overcrowding are problems in Venezuela's prison system. The Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones (English: Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons) estimates that 6,663 prisoners have died between 1999 and 2015, with average overcrowding at over 200%.

More than 60 prisoners died in the 2013 Uribana prison riot. The organization Human Rights Watch states that because of poor training and insufficient numbers of guards, corruption and deterioration of infrastructure, armed gangs have seized control of inmate populations.

Fire

The fire began in the jail attached to the police station in Valencia, a city located about {{convert|160|km|-1|abbr=on}} west of Venezuela's capital city, Caracas.{{Cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/29/scores-dead-venezuela-police-station-fire/468595002/ |title=At least 68 dead in Venezuela police station fire as angry relatives demand answers |last=Onyanga-Omara |first=Jane |date=March 29, 2018 |work=USA TODAY |access-date=March 29, 2018 |language=en}} The jail was built to contain only 60 prisoners, but when the fire broke out, it housed about 200.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/world/americas/venezuela-jail-fire.html |title=After Dozens Die in a Jail Fire, Venezuela Tear-Gasses Their Relatives |last=Herrero |first=Ana Vanessa |date=March 29, 2018 |work=The New York Times |access-date=March 29, 2018 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

The fire reportedly began when, during a riot, prisoners in the jail inside the police station lit their mattresses on fire in an attempt to escape.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-43579108 |title=Venezuelan police cells fire kills 68 |date=March 29, 2018 |work=BBC News |access-date=March 29, 2018 |language=en-GB}} Later reports stated that the fire began during a party thrown by the inmates.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/30/world/americas/anguished-mourners-beg-for-answers-after-jail-fire-in-venezuela.html|title=Anguished Mourners Beg for Answers After Jail Fire in Venezuela|first=Ana Vanessa|last=Herrero|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 30, 2018}} Gunfire was also reportedly heard during the riot that preceded the fire.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/29/fire-in-cells-of-venezuelan-police-station-kills-68 |title=Fire in cells of Venezuelan police station kills 78 |last=Beaumont |first=Peter |date=March 29, 2018 |work=The Guardian |access-date=March 29, 2018 |language=en}} However, the circumstances surrounding the fire have yet to be officially confirmed, and local officials initially only confirmed that some people had died in the fire.

Later on the day of the fire, Tarek William Saab, Venezuela's lead prosecutor, stated that the death toll was 68, which included two women, most likely visitors; and Saab stated that an investigation would be started to “clarify” the incident.{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/fire-rips-through-venezuela-prison-killing-at-least-68/2018/03/29/e2dea852-3349-11e8-8abc-22a366b72f2d_story.html|title=Families demand answers after blaze kills at least 68 in overcrowded Venezuelan jail|first1=Rachelle|last1=Krygier|first2=Anthony|last2=Faiola|date=March 29, 2018|access-date=March 30, 2018|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}

Aftermath

On the same day of the fire, relatives of the dead prisoners gathered at the police station where the fire occurred, but were dispersed by police using tear gas. The gas was used after the protesters attempted to push their way into the station and detention center in question, the Carabobo state police headquarters, with one officer being injured by a stone.{{Cite news |url=http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2018/03/29/venezuela-jailbreak-attempt-sparks-blaze-68-dead/ |title=Venezuela jailbreak attempt sparks blaze, 68 dead |date=March 29, 2018 |work=Free Malaysia Today |access-date=March 29, 2018 |language=en-US}}

The governor of Carabobo, Rafael Lacava, stated his "consternation" over the events, and the human rights body of the United Nations called for an investigation. In a released statement, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights also requested reparations for the victims' families.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-prison-un/u-n-calls-on-venezuela-to-investigate-deadly-prison-fire-idUSKBN1H520S|title=U.N. calls on Venezuela to investigate deadly prison fire|newspaper=Reuters|date=March 29, 2018|access-date=March 30, 2018}}

Political opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro have seized on the fire as evidence that Venezuelan society has declined under Maduro's leadership. Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles tweeted "How many more times are we going to see the same Dantesque scenes with the prisoners of the country?"{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/hcapriles/status/979372637603422211|via=Twitter|author=Henrique Capriles|date=29 March 2018|access-date=3 April 2018|title=Henrique Capriles R. on Twitter|language=es}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/world/2018/3/29/17177324/venezuela-jail-fire-riot |title=68 died in a Venezuelan prison riot. Police tear-gassed their families for asking questions. |last=Aleem |first=Zeshaan |date=March 29, 2018 |website=Vox |access-date=March 30, 2018}}

Many of the dead prisoners were buried side by side, and three deep, in a mass grave separated by cinder blocks and marked by crosses.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/relatives-of-venezuela-jail-fire-victims-begin-mourning-dead/2018/03/30/25724378-33d0-11e8-b6bd-0084a1666987_story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331022516/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/relatives-of-venezuela-jail-fire-victims-begin-mourning-dead/2018/03/30/25724378-33d0-11e8-b6bd-0084a1666987_story.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 31, 2018 |title=Venezuelan jail dead buried in mass tomb as questions linger |newspaper=Washington Post |author=Scott Smith |date= March 30, 2018 }}