Venezuelan prison riot kills 5

A riot broke out Wednesday at a prison in the central Venezuelan state of Carabobo, leaving five inmates dead and two police officers injured, the media reported.

The five inmates died because of burns and smoke inhalation, some of their family members told Efe.

"They haven't told us anything. I ask the police not to treat them like dogs, not to throw gasoline at them, not to shoot at them from the outside," Lissette Mendoza, mother of 19-year-old inmate Yorman Salazar, told reporters.

"He was arrested for robbery, but that is not a reason for them to kill him like a dog," Mendoza added.

The disturbances started at around 4 am, nearby residents said.

The cause of the riot is still unknown and authorities have not offered any information.

After the riot, several dozen family members gathered in front of the police station to demand information.

The situation soon turned violent, leading the 20 state police officers who were guarding the station to launch tear gas.

"There is a contingency, you have to give us time to get the information," a policeman told protesters during the scuffle.

The independent Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons has repeatedly condemned prison overcrowding in the country, as well as inmates' inadequate living conditions.

--IANS

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