MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguayan prison inmates hold warden and guards hostage

The prison warden said he was in good health

Luis Esquivel, warden of Paraguay's Tacumbú Prison, spoke early Wednesday from inside the penitentiary where inmates are holding him hostage together with 22 guards and said an answer from the Justice Ministry of Justice was needed for the situation to stop.

“I am the spokesman for my colleagues and we need a solution, it has been more than 12 hours and we want to get out”, said Esquivel, who also pointed out that he and the other jailers were in good health.

“They demand the reopening of the penitentiary, the non-retaliation, the non-entry of the public forces”, he pointed out. “They are going to release us only with the fulfillment of those three points,” the warden remarked. “They are waiting for a written document in order to have guarantees,” he also explained.

Violence broke out in the afternoon when detonations of fireworks could be heard and a column of smoke emerged. The inmates reportedly blame Justice Minister Angel Barchini for the current crisis within the penitentiary system amid reports that non-commissioned officer Oliver Lezcano had escaped, while other versions said he had been murdered by members of the Rotela clan.

The rioting inmates have been reported to have video footage proving Lezcano escaped. (Story in progress)