Venezuelan Interior Minister Remigio Ceballos and security agents watching part of the weapons seized during the operation to regain control of the Vista Hermosa Penitentiary Center in Ciudad Bolívar, November 6, 2023. Photo: X/@ELESPINITO.
Venezuelan security forces have taken control of the Vista Hermosa Penitentiary Center in Ciudad Bolívar, Bolívar state, and dismantled the criminal gangs that operated there, including an extortionist group. This was reported by Interior Minister Remigio Ceballos on Monday, November 6, who explained that the prison was taken over as part of Operation Gran Cacique Guaicaipuro.
“We have dismantled all the criminal structures that were operating from this prison … An extortion center for the entire country operated from here,” he stated in a television broadcast, adding that further details will be released soon.
#AHORA || Desde el Centro Penitenciario “Vista Hermosa”, en el edo. Bolívar, el Vpdte. Sectorial A/J @CeballosIchaso1 ofreció importante información sobre la Operación Gran Cacique Guaicaipuro. #SiPorElE5equibo pic.twitter.com/24TD28him0
— MPPRIJP (@MijpVzla) November 6, 2023
“With the takeover of this penitentiary center, we have secured the control over the Venezuelan prison with the largest number of inmates,” Minister Ceballos said. “We have made 99.9% progress in the complete takeover of all prisons so that they become part of the national penitentiary program, and we continue to move forward, according to instructions we received from President Nicolás Maduro.”
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He added that the prisoners who were in the Vista Hermosa penitentiary center are safe and they will be transferred to provisional detention centers. With this latest operation only, one major prison in Venezuela remains to be taken under full control of the penitentiary system.
#VistaHermosa VIDEO | El ministro de Interiores, Remigio Ceballos se acercó a la cerca perimetral del Internado Judicial de Bolívar (Vista Hermosa) para informarle a familiares de presos sobre el desalojo de esa cárcel como parte del reimpulso al sistema penitenciario venezolano pic.twitter.com/hrTXSKZnmr
— Eligio Rojas (@ELESPINITO) November 6, 2023
“Under the Great Quadrants of Peace Mission and the Plan to Strengthen the Penitentiary System, we have ensured the safety of all the prisoners, who are awaiting transfer to other centers in the country under the orders of the Penitentiary Ministry,” Ceballos stated.
During the operation, the Interior Ministry informed the relatives of the inmates about the security operation in the prison, and promised full respect of human rights and the evaluation of the judicial files of each inmates, given that many of them may be eligible for early release after having completed more than half of their sentences.
(Últimas Noticias) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SC
