Aragua Penitentiary Center
.svg)  Aragua Penitentiary Center Location in Venezuela | |
| Location | Tocorón, Aragua |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 10°05′00″N 67°34′38″W / 10.083333°N 67.577222°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Maximum security |
| Capacity | 750 |
| Population | 7,000 (as of 2016) |
| Opened | 1982 |
| Managed by | Ministry of People's Power for Penitentiary Service |
| Director | Rigoberto Jesús Fernández Colina |
| Warden | Ezequiel Antonio Pérez Rivero |
| City | Tocorón |
| County | Francisco Linares Alcántara Municipality |
| State/province | Aragua |
| Country |  Venezuela |
The Aragua Penitentiary Center, also known as Tocorón Prison, is a prison in Venezuela located in the town of Tocorón, in Aragua State.
History
[edit]The prison was built in 1982 with a capacity for 750 inmates; by 2016 it housed over 7,000 prisoners.[1]
On 15 March 2007, 300 inmates began a hunger strike in protest at mistreatment of prisoners and their visitors; on 4 May, an internal riot left two dead and 23 injured, including the prison’s deputy director, Francisco Marcano.[2]
In 2010, a clash over control of the facility left 16 dead.[3]
The prison, like most Venezuelan facilities, suffers from serious administrative, health and security deficiencies. In 2014, organised crime took control of the complex.[4]
It is one of the most violent prisons in the country, where inmates, heavily armed (even with hand grenades), engage in bloody gang clashes. The criminal megaband known as the Tren de Aragua emerged here.[5]
The complex controlled by Tren de Aragua featured a swimming pool, a nightclub, a baseball stadium and a zoo, as well as tunnels allowing free entry and exit.[4]
2023 prison raid
[edit]In September 2023, the penitentiary became the focus of national and international attention due to an operation led by the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB)[6] called Operation Liberation Cacique Guaicaipuro,[7] and the leader of the criminal megaband, Héctor Guerrero Flores, escaped before the raid.[8] On 20 September, around 11,000 FANB agents were deployed to Tocorón to neutralise about 5,500 inmates, many armed.[6] This deployment raised scepticism among experts and the public over its legitimacy and transparency, especially after authorities initially failed to confirm the whereabouts of thousands of inmates post-operation.[6] A major of the Bolivarian National Guard died during the operation.[9] The Attorney General of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab, called the action a “crushing blow” to organised crime. However, observers such as Humberto Prado, director of the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory (OPV), noted inconsistencies in the rapid operation compared with previous prison interventions. Tocorón was identified as the base of Héctor Guerrero Flores, leader of one of Venezuela’s most prominent criminal megabands, with influence across regions and internationally.[6] The intervention also coincided with international reports on possible human rights violations in Venezuela, leading some to speculate that motives extended beyond prison security.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ Pulido, Álvaro (2016). "GNB surrounds Tocorón prison with APCs and helicopters". El Nacional. Archived from the original on 11 February 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
- ^ Latin American Council of Social Sciences (2007). "Chronology of the social conflict: Venezuela 2007" (PDF).
- ^ "More "Dantesque" riots that shook Táchira". La Prensa Táchira. 26 March 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ a b ""It had a pool, a nightclub and a zoo": Venezuela's Tocorón prison run by Tren de Aragua". El Español. 22 September 2023.
- ^ Risquez, Ronna (26 September 2019). "'Tren de Aragua', the Venezuelan megaband that reached Brazilian prisons". InSight Crime.
- ^ a b c d e "Tocorón prison takeover: a distractive operation?". DW. 22 September 2023.
- ^ "With 11,000 agents, Venezuela evacuated a prison taken over by organised crime". Télam. 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Who is 'Niño Guerrero', the Tren de Aragua boss who ran Tocorón prison". El Comercio. 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Major of the GNB killed during operation at Tocorón". El Regional del Zulia. 20 September 2023.