Venezuelan prison watchdog demands emergency plan for tuberculosis

The Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVP) has called on authorities to implement an immediate sanitary emergency plan to combat the spread of tuberculosis within the country's prisons and police holding cells. The NGO reports that inaction by the Ministry for Penitentiary Service and a lack of timely medical care are turning detention centers into spaces where preventable deaths occur.

According to testimonies from families, inmates with tuberculosis are facing significant difficulties accessing necessary medical treatments. The OVP is urging the state to adopt several measures, including epidemiological tracking, respiratory isolation for symptomatic inmates, and the decongestion of facilities to improve ventilation and reduce overcrowding.

Furthermore, the organization demands the removal of bureaucratic obstacles that prevent the transfer of seriously ill detainees to general hospitals. The OVP noted that it intends to escalate these complaints to the United Nations and the Inter-American System. In its 2025 annual report, the OVP stated that 181 people died under state custody, citing lack of medical attention for various conditions as a primary factor.