Some of the guards responsible for security at the Women’s Center for Social Adjustment after the Honduras riot. ORLANDO SIERRA (AFP)
A gang confrontation has resulted in one of Honduras’ worst prison tragedies. At least 41 women have died this Tuesday at the Women’s Center for Social Adjustment (Cefas), confirmed State Ministry spokesman Yuri Mora, who warned the death toll could rise. President Xiomara Castro has deplored the massacre and pledged to take “drastic action” at a time when she has developed policies similar to those of her neighbor Nayib Bukele in dealing with gang violence. “Shocked by the monstrous murder of women in Cefas, planned by gangs with the full visibility and patience of the security authorities.” My solidarity with the family. I invite the Minister of Security and the President of the Intervention Commission to give an account. I will take drastic action!” the President wrote on Twitter.
Shocked by the monstrous murder of women in CEFAS, planned by gangs with the full view and patience of the security authorities. My solidarity with the family. I invite the Minister of Security and the President of the Intervention Commission to give an account. I will take drastic action!
— Xiomara Castro de Zelaya (@XiomaraCastroZ) June 20, 2023
The women’s prison is 25 kilometers from the capital, Tegucigalpa. Images from local media show scenes of chaos at the prison, where authorities declared a state of emergency following the massacre. “We will not tolerate vandalism or irregularities in this prison. Immediate intervention, accompanied by firefighters, police and military, is authorized and a state of emergency is declared,” said Deputy Security Minister Julissa Villanueva. Authorities have ordered a security plan covering the country’s 26 prisons, which hold at least 20,000 people. Crime in Honduran prisons is high and it is within them that criminal groups in control organize extortion, kidnapping and drug sales.
Local media reported that the massacre was caused by a confrontation between inmates belonging to the Mara Salvatucha MS-13 and Gang 18 gangs. La Tribuna newspaper reports videos showing a group of women being burned. “The charred bodies lie in the toilet area and are part of the evidence gathered with this unfortunate fact,” reports the newspaper. Deputy Minister Villanueva said: “This is a direct attack by a woman on a government that has the political will to move forward. We will react head-on, bravely and with clean hands and move forward.”
The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Honduras, Alice Shackelford, has expressed a “strong rejection of violence” after learning of the Cefas tragedy. “My heart is crying and I share the grief with their families,” said the diplomat. “My solidarity with the women in the correctional center and my strong opposition to violence,” Shackelford said in a message on Twitter.
This tragedy comes at a time when President Castro has decided to take measures similar to those of his Salvadoran counterpart, Nayib Bukele, to crack down on gang violence. Castro announced in November a controversial policy that includes partial states of emergency to combat crime in the most unsafe areas of Honduran cities, such as San Pedro Sula, considered one of the most violent in the world. The measures were implemented in 120 communities, which also suspended constitutional guarantees and mobilized the military to maintain order.
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