Venezuela jail officials arrested

28 June 2011 Last updated at 10:22 GMT Families have been trying to find out what has happened to inmates Venezuelan authorities have confirmed that two high-ranking officers at a jail near Caracas have been arrested on suspicion of arms and drugs-smuggling.

The men, along with a National Guard captain, are accused of smuggling weapons into El Rodeo prison.

Twenty people died when rioting broke out in the prison earlier this month, leading to an ongoing stand-off between prisoners and security forces.

Armed inmates are holding some 1,000 other prisoners hostage, officials say.

Prosecutors said the men being held are Luis Rafael Aranguren, the governor of El Rodeo II, one wing in the prison complex, and the deputy governor of El Rodeo I, Ruben Jose Gonzalez Heredia.

Authorities also arrested Capt Jose Camargo Gomez.

They are suspected of belonging to a ring that smuggled weapons into the prison.

Waiting game

Rioting erupted in El Rodeo prison in Guatire on 12 June. There has been a tense stand-off since it was quelled on 17 June.

Several days later, troops took control of most of the complex and many of the inmates were transferred to other jails.

But a stand-off continues in one section of the prison and there have been sporadic gun battles.

One soldier and two prisoners have been killed in the violence, authorities say.

Officials say they remain open to dialogue, but that order must be restored.

Venezuela's overcrowded prisons see frequent riots between rival gangs.

The prison system, built to hold about 14,500 inmates, is currently estimated to house some 46,000 prisoners, according to the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory, which monitors prison conditions.

View the original article here

Venezuela prison siege continues

21 June 2011 Last updated at 12:35 GMT Families are desperate for any information about the situation inside the jail Venezuelan troops have escorted 36 prisoners out of a jail near Caracas where armed inmates are resisting the army's attempts to retake control.

A National Guard spokesman said the men had been "hostages of violent prisoners".

There have been gunfights since Friday between some 5,000 members of the security forces and inmates holed up in a wing of El Rodeo prison.

Some 2,500 prisoners have been moved from the complex to other jails.

Last Friday, troops took over most of El Rodeo jail in Guatire, after a riot between rival gangs of prisoners on 12 June left some 20 people dead.

But a stand-off continues in one section of prison.

'Weapons of war'

On Monday, troops managed to free 36 men from areas no longer held by rebellious prisoners, Interior Minister Tareck El Aissami told state television.

Mr Aissami has said that one prisoner and two National Guard troops have been killed during the clashes.

An inmate reached by mobile telephone told the Associated Press that there had been 17 deaths.

Troops were using what he called "weapons of war" against them, prisoner Rafael Contreras said.

Hundreds of relatives are outside the jail, anxious for news.

Authorities say a group of what they call "hostile" inmates are using their weapons to control some 1,000 prisoners in one section of the prison.

Venezuela's overcrowded prisons see frequent riots between rival gangs.

The prison system, built to hold about 14,500 inmates, is currently estimated to house some 46,000 prisoners, according to the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory, which monitors prison conditions.

View the original article here

Venezuela prison riot kills 19

14 June 2011 Last updated at 18:31 GMT Inmates' relatives anxiously awaited news after the prison riot at Rodeo I prison Some 19 people have died and many more have been hurt in a prison riot in Venezuela, officials say.

Two rival gangs had confronted each other in El Rodeo I prison near the capital Caracas on Sunday, said Interior Minister Tareck El Aissami.

The situation has since calmed down, local media reports say, but 150 people remain in front of the jail awaiting news of their jailed relatives.

There have been a number of riots in Venezuelan jails this year.

Prisons in the country are notoriously overcrowded, with reports suggesting they are three times over capacity.

The Inter-American Commission of Human Rights has urged Venezuela to take action to tackle violence and insecurity in its prisons, and to protect the human rights of inmates.

The campaign group Venezuelan Prison Watch says 476 inmates died inside Venezuela's prisons in 2010.

The government had put a plan in place to reform the prison sector and had allocated almost $100m (?60.1m) for the task, said Mr El Aissami.

But he admitted that the government's efforts had so far not been enough to tackle "the sheer drama, urgency and complexity of the problems besetting the prison system".

View the original article here

Venezuela moves to cut energy use

14 June 2011 Last updated at 09:01 GMT Venezuela is dependent on hydro-electricity for much of its power Big electricity users in Venezuela have been told to cut consumption or face increased charges.

Consumers who save energy will be in line for discounts, officials said.

The move comes after a series of recent power failures, the most recent last Friday and Saturday when outages affected parts of western Venezuela.

Last year, Venezuela had to cope with rolling blackouts for months, blamed by the government on a severe drought hitting hydro-electric production.

Critics say that the authorities have failed to invest enough to cope with rising demand, and that the state-run utility company is beset by corruption.

In May this year, rationing was reinstated in some parts of the country after power failures affected nearly half the country.

Steady supply

Monday's new measures came after a transformer in Zulia state failed on Friday night, followed by similar problems on Saturday that affected the states of Trujillo, Merida, Tachira and Barinas.

"It's imperative that all Venezuelans contribute to and join in the campaign to save electricity," Energy Minister Ali Rodriguez told a news conference.

"Demand is excessive," Mr Rodriguez said, adding that this stemmed from growing consumption by households, as well as industrial and commercial activity.

Consumers, including industry, big businesses and shopping centres, must cut monthly consumption by 10% compared with 2009 or face additional costs.

"These are measures for an adequate and rational use of electrical energy aimed at maintaining a steady and safe supply", said Vice President Elias Jaua.

Other measures include:

Consumers using more than 20% compared with 2009 levels face increase in charges of some 200%Consumers who cut usage by at least 10% entitled to 25% discountReduction of at least 20% entitles consumers to 50% discount Lights on illuminated billboards and street signs must use energy-saving light bulbs and be switched off at midnight

Hospital, schools, water distributors and oil companies are among those exempt from the measures.

Although Venezuela has big oil reserves, it is dependent on hydro-electricity for some 70% of its power.

View the original article here