In Venezuela’s western Barinas prison, inmates climbed onto the roof on Sunday to stage a protest against alleged mistreatment by prison authorities. They burned mattresses and bedsheets as part of their demonstration and accused guards of shooting unarmed prisoners, leaving several injured. Protesters demanded the removal of the prison director, and video footage reportedly showed one inmate with a gunshot wound to the chest while others chanted for justice and an end to abuse.

Tensions also spread outside the prison as relatives of inmates clashed with members of the National Guard while attempting to enter the facility. Witnesses reported hearing screams and explosions from inside the prison during the unrest.

A Venezuelan prison monitoring organization stated that it is documenting the incident and sharing information with human rights groups. Authorities have not yet issued any official statement regarding the situation.