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| Brazilian Inmates Take Hundreds Hostage in Riots |
| By Reuters |
| Published: 02/20/2001 |
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Brazilian negotiators attempted early Monday to end an unprecedented 18-hour siege at a string of prisons across the state of Sao Paulo that has left 8 inmates dead and hundreds of people hostage. The uprising, allegedly led by a highly organized gang of inmates who call themselves the First Commando of the Capital (PCC), began at lunchtime on February 18 -- trapping visiting relatives within the prisons as inmates took over a startling 27 compounds. By 9 a.m. local time some 10,000 inmates continued to control 11 compounds, including Latin America's biggest prison of Carandiru. Shock troops, armed with shotguns and revolvers, awaited instructions outside prisons across the state of Sao Paulo in what relatives of the inmates fear could be a prelude to a police invasion of prisons like Carandiru. Tensions are so high that many of the family members who were taken hostage are refusing to leave for fear of a fresh inmate massacre. Severe overcrowding, alleged torture of inmates by officers and scarce funds for basic health provisions often lead to inmate uprisings in Brazil, making them almost a common occurrence. But the size and scale of this uprising has alarmed Brazil's government and the public and illustrated the level of sophistication of the prisoner gang, the PCC. Using cellular telephones and believed to hold an arsenal of weapons, the PCC has proven itself to be a powerful force across Sao Paulo state's lawless penitentiary system. According to state security forces, some 8 inmates have been killed across Sao Paulo state since the uprising began. Some speculate they may be part of a purge that began last week with the murder of five inmates and that resulted in the transfer of 10 PCC leaders from Carandiru. But one exiting hostage -- whose husband is an inmate at Carandiru -- accused police of executing prisoners on Sunday afternoon. State officials firmly deny any hostile actions have been taken against prisoners. |
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