Inmates in Colombia were diagnosed with COVID-19. Due to the overcrowding of these prisons, it is impossible to avoid contact between guards and visitors, this added to poor ventilation and the disastrous sanitary system could be an infectious focus of coronavirus.
Fear of contracting this disease, fueled by the problem of deplorable sanitation and the inhumane conditions inmates live in, exploded on Saturday 21 at the El Modelo Prison in Bogotá. Following the inmates’ protest, a confrontation ensued that left at least 23 prisoners dead, 32 of whom were wounded were transferred to the nearest hospital.
According to data provided by the Colombian Ministry of Justice, 132 Colombian prisons only can hold 81,000 prisoners, but there are currently 121,000 inmates throughout the country. It should be noted that so far COVID-19 has left a balance of 231 infected and 2 deceased in the coffee country.
The only country that planned this situation was the United States, here the authorities released in advance prisoners convicted of minor crimes, as well as long-term and sick inmates, some prisons prohibited visits, and canceled all activities. Also, they evaluated the health of their workers and prioritized virus tests on all personnel.