At least 46 female inmates were killed during a violent gang confrontation at a prison.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, June 20, in Tamara, Honduras, approximately 30 miles to the northwest of the capital city, Tegucigalpa, as confirmed by Yuri Mora, the spokesperson for the national police investigation agency.
The deceased were discovered inside the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social, a women’s penitentiary with a capacity of 900. The method of killing varied from being burned alive to being shot, stabbed or beaten, and at least seven women were admitted to a Tegucigalpa hospital with gunshot and stab injuries. Most of the casualties were from a fire, set in the cell of one of the warring gangs.
In the aftermath, President Xiomara Castro of Honduras expressed her distress over the “horrific slaying” of the inmates, attributing it to the dangerous influence of infamous street gangs within the prison. Through Twitter, she expressed her sympathy towards the bereaved families and made a promise to undertake “severe actions” following the incident.
According to Delma Ordonez, president of an association for prisoner families, who spoke to Reuters, the violence was initiated by rival gangs, Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha, supposedly with the aid of prison guards. Automatic weapons and machetes were said to have been smuggled into the prison; this is being investigated.
Concerned relatives of the inmates congregated outside the detention center seeking updates on their family members’ wellbeing.
Julissa Villanueva, director of the Honduran prison system, proposed that the riot was retaliation against the authorities’ recent endeavors to suppress illicit activities within prison walls. In a televised statement, Villanueva declared the authorities’ unwavering stand against organized crime.
The incident signifies the deadliest event in a women’s detention center in the area since 2017 and underscores the ongoing problem of gang dominance and brutality in Honduran prisons.
The incident is reminiscent of a 2012 incident where a fire in a prison in Comayagua, Honduras, resulted in the death of 361 inmates.
