Barinas prison protest sparks investigations after inmates allege torture
On 24 May 2026, inmates at Venezuela’s Internado Judicial de Barinas (INJUBA) seized the prison’s roof, burned mattresses and displayed banners demanding the removal of director Elvis Macuare Guerrero. Prisoners—about 1,200 men and more than 100 women—claimed they were subjected to beatings, electric shocks, water‑boarding and threats of death, and reported that guards fired at the towers, leaving several injured.
The protest prompted the ousting of Macuare Guerrero, according to the Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVP), and a visit by penitentiary minister Julio García Zerpa. Authorities later transferred the 112 women detained there, though their destination was not disclosed. The Ministry of Public (MP) announced a criminal investigation, assigning the 49th National Fiscalía with full human‑rights competence to examine the events.
Human‑rights NGOs, including OVP and Provea, condemned the alleged torture and called for the involvement of the Defensoría del Pueblo and the Ministry of Public to guarantee detainees’ rights. The government has not issued a detailed public statement on the incident.