Honduras: at least 18 detainees killed in prison shootout

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Relatives of the victims gathered at the doorstep of Tela prison in Honduras where a shooting broke out during the night of Friday to Saturday between gangs. REUTERS / Stringer

At least 18 prisoners died and 16 others were injured in a Honduran prison on the night of December 20-21. This violence is frequent in this Central American country plagued by gangs, corruption and drug trafficking.

It is 5:00 p.m. Friday, December 20, in the prison in the port of Tela, in northwest Honduras, when the shooting breaks out for reasons still unknown. Very quickly, relatives of the detainees gathered in front of the gates of the establishment to obtain the names of the victims. The list will only be published this Saturday. Photos posted on social networks show lifeless bodies in the inner courtyard of the establishment.

Familiares de los presos exigen información clara sobre los acontecimientos sucedidos dentro del centro penal de Tela. # Noticiero30Minutos pic.twitter.com/hfYnPvAcJH

If the authorities have been slow to intervene, it is for fear of being among the victims, defends the National Penitentiary Institute which specifies that several prisoners were carrying firearms.

Wave of violence

A week ago, the director of the main high-security prison in Honduras was assassinated. The following day, several MS-13 members were killed in prison in clashes with a rival gang.

It is by invoking this wave of assassinations that the disputed government of Juan Orlando Hernandez declared a state of emergency in 27 penitentiary centers of the country. In other words, it transfers full control of these prisons to the armed forces and the police.

►Also listen: Big report - Honduras: living where gangs reign

Behind their walls are piled up more than 21,000 prisoners, for 8,000 places. Less than half of these detainees have been tried. The homicide rate in Honduras is one of the highest in the world, outside the war zone.