Colombia Prison Riots Over Virus Leave at Least 25 Dead

  • Rioters say prison overcrowding boosts infection risk
  • Colombia has confirmed its first two deaths from the virus
Inmates extend their hands out of windows after a riot at the Modelo prison in Bogota on March 22.Photographer: Daniel Munoz/AFP via Getty Images
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Coordinated riots across Colombia’s prison system on Saturday evening left 23 inmates dead at one Bogota jail and two in a maximum security facility 100 miles north-east of the capital.

Inmates started fires and protested violently against overcrowded and unsanitary conditions which leaves them vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic.