TAKE ACTION: - Demand better conditions in filthy and inhumane Colombian prisons! Demand justice for the 23 dead and more than 90 wounded by Colombian authorities in the La Modelo Massacre!
- Send a donation to Lazos de Dignidad to support Colombian prisoners and peace process participants in their struggles to stay healthy from the coronavirus, and to win justice!
By James Patrick Jordan Colombian Armed Forces attacked prisoners on Sunday who were striking against filthy conditions and lack of protections against the COVID-19 coronavirus. Colombian agents killed at least 23 persons and wounded more than 90 at La Modelo prison in the capital city of Bogotá. This attack takes place in the context of a series of protests in 13 different Colombian prisons in addition to La Modelo. The government has not released details about what transpired at other locations, including whether there were casualties. At La Modelo, prison officials, police, and military troops assaulted inmates with live ammunition, claiming the attack was necessary to prevent a mass escape. However, prisoners insist that the purpose of their protests was to demand action to stop the spread of coronavirus and to improve health and sanitation. La Modelo has a rate of overcrowding of over 50%, with prisoners often having to sleep in shifts because of lack of space. It is frequently listed as one of the world’s worst and most dangerous prisons. In 2016, the remains of more than 100 dismembered prisoners and visitors were discovered in the jail’s drain pipes. The massacre at La Modelo facility happened just days before the 20th anniversary of an accord between the U.S. government and Colombia to reform and improve Colombia’s prison system. After 20 years, rather than improvements, overcrowding of jails has reached the highest levels in Colombia’s history, penitentiaries have been militarized, and human rights abuses are endemic, occurring daily.... So far, Colombia’s health ministry reports 231 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Colombian prisons, with two deaths registered. This number is likely only the tip of the iceberg.... Read more....  Overcrowding at La Modelo Prison in Bogotá, Colombia | |
