https://arab.news/9373e
- A video on social media showed a long stream of prisoners purportedly fleeing a prison
RIO DE JANEIRO: Hundreds of prisoners broke out of four Brazilian jails on Monday, the day before their day-release privileges were due to be suspended over the coronavirus outbreak, Sao Paulo state prison authorities and local media reported.
The Sao Paulo state prison authority said it could not say how many inmates had escaped as it was 鈥渟till tallying the exact number of fugitives.鈥� Local media reported that as many as 1,000 had fled from four jails 鈥� Mongagu谩, Trememb茅, Porto Feliz and Mirand贸polis 鈥� ahead of the lockdown.
A video on social media showed a long stream of prisoners purportedly fleeing a prison. Reuters was unable to verify the veracity or location of the video.
The Sao Paulo state prison authority said 鈥渁cts of insubordination鈥� had taken place at the jails ahead of the suspension of the day-release program.
The suspension was necessary, it added, because 34,000 convicts would be returning to jail and 鈥渨ould have a high potential to install and propagate the coronavirus in a vulnerable population, generating health risks for servers and custodians.鈥� It said law enforcement were 鈥渢aking care of the situation.鈥�
Sao Paulo state is home to the First Capital Command, Brazil鈥檚 most powerful prison gang, which is expanding quickly across the country and in neighboring nations. It traffics guns, drugs and other contraband.
Brazil鈥檚 overstuffed prisons often see deadly prison riots between rival gangs.