Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 31 May 2019
Brazil officials admit knowing prison clash was ‘imminent’

By DIANE JEANTET of Brazil’s prisons, badly
VICTOR CAIVANO outnumbered guards strug-
Associated Press gle to retain power over an
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — Bra- ever-growing population
zilian families on Thursday of inmates who often run
buried victims of prison criminal schemes from be-
riots that left 55 inmates hind bars.
dead, as authorities con- The country’s peniten-
firmed they had received tiary system has an official
warnings of an “imminent capacity of 368,000, but
confrontation” days be- roughly double that num-
fore clashes in the northern ber — 726,000 — are in-
state of Amazonas began. carcerated, according to
Dozens of relatives could official data from 2016. In
be seen grieving, crying Amazonas state, 11,390 in-
and sometimes fainting at mates occupy prisons built
a cemetery in the capital to hold 2,354.
city of Manaus as coffins “It is absolutely necessary
were lowered in the rust- to build new prisons,” said
colored earth. Claudio Lamachia, who
“He really wanted to come was chairman of Brazil’s bar
out (of prison), turn his life association until the end of
around,” said a tearful Ti- last year. “It’s a way of in-
ara, whose ex-husband Relatives carry the coffin that contain the remains of 25-year-old William de Souza, an inmate vesting in public security.”
was killed in the violence. who was killed in the recent prison riots, to a burial site in Manaus, Brazil, Thursday, May 30, 2019. Lamachia, who has regu-
She declined to share her larly visited prisons across
last name out of fear of the Mens’ Provisional De- eration for family members secretary. Brazil, said it is not uncom-
reprisal. The riots have led tention Centre 1 in Manaus reflected the way prisoners Umanizzare said the state mon for prisoners to spend
to renewed calls for better to another facility. Still, five are treated inside the peni- remains responsible for several days in police cars
prisons, providing another inmates were killed in that tentiaries. security inside the facili- waiting for a space to be-
challenge to the adminis- prison Monday. “The exploitation of prison- ties and the company is come available.
tration of far-right President “There’s no way you can ers is dramatic,” Poli, an in charge of nearly every- “Prisons today are a time
Jair Bolsonaro, which has identify the ideal moment Italian native, told The As- thing else, from food to bomb. Tragedies waiting to
pledged to clean up Bra- or exact moment when any sociated Press. maintenance, medical at- happen,” the lawyer said.
zil’s festering jails as part of event will happen,” said The priest also criticized tention and utilities. In January 2017, more than
a broader crime-fighting state prison secretary Vini- privatizations in the Amazo- Severe overcrowding re- 120 inmates died when Bra-
agenda. cius Almeida on Wednes- nas prison system. mains a key issue. zil’s First Capital Command
Adding to the anger and day. “Intelligence data is All four prisons where the “More prisoners, more clashed with the rival Fam-
frustration, state prison au- not a crystal ball.” killings took place Sun- money,” Poli said, noting ily of the North gang over
thorities said they imple- The Rev. Joao Poli, who has day and Monday were that he once saw over 30 control of drug-trafficking
mented a contingency been visiting inmates inside run under a public-private people packed in a cell routes in northern states.
plan on May 23, transfer- the state’s prisons for nearly partnership with Brazilian with eight mattresses at a The violence lasted several
ring some prisoners who a decade, said the gov- company Umanizzare, ac- prison in a remote area of weeks, spreading to various
appeared to be at risk at ernment’s lack of consid- cording to the state prison Amazonas state. In many states.q

Argentina anti-austerity strike halts flights, trains, buses

By ALMUDENA CALATRAVA Macri will seek re-election Union leaders said it was
Associated Press in October and center-left the largest strike that they
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina former president Cristina had organized since Macri
(AP) — Much of Argen- Fernández will try to return took office in 2015 prom-
tina came to a standstill to power running as vice ising to end poverty and
Wednesday as a strike to president on the ticket with tame high consumer prices.
protest government aus- her former chief of staff, Al- They say government poli-
terity measures grounded berto Fernández . cies have led to the closing
hundreds of flights, halted Many workers stayed home of some 14,000 small and
bus and train lines and Wednesday because sub- mid-size companies while
forced the closing of banks, way lines were closed. Argentines continue to lose
courts and many schools. Authorities estimated that purchasing power to an
The country’s main grains about 330 flights from the “alarming” inflation rate of
ports were also shut and country’s flagship car- about 50 percent a year.
hospitals offered only emer- rier, Aerolineas Argentinas, Unions and left-leaning or-
gency services during the Police keep protesters from blocking a road bridge, which were cancelled and some ganizations cut some roads
24-hour strike organized by would completely halt transit at this spot, during a general strike 37,000 passengers were leading into the capital
labor unions to protest the against austerity measures implemented by Maurico Macri’s affected by the walkout, city and distributed food
policies of President Mau- government in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, May 29, which also forced the “Re- to show what they say is in-
ricio Macri. Those include 2019. copa” final between soc- creasing hunger.
the firing of workers and Associated Press cer clubs River Plate and “We’re sick of the low sala-
the slashing of government and utility rates. Argentines ation of the currency and Brazil’s Atletico Paranaense ries, the halt of activity in
subsidies that have shot up are also fed up with a stub- one of the world’s highest to be postponed to Thurs- the industry,” said unionist
the costs of transportation born recession, a devalu- inflation rates. day. Rubén García. q