Four police officers are being held hostage by detainees at a national police facility in Venezuela, a prison rights group said Tuesday.
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The organization Una Ventana a la Libertad announced that negotiations with the authorities had stalled 24 hours after the hostage-taking.
A press release said the kidnapping took place during a count of detainees at this center in Aragua state, in the north of the country.
The inmates, who are denouncing abuse by their prison guards, forced the four police officers, three men and one woman, to go with them to their cell.
Videos posted on social media show the four officers behind bars with their hands tied. They claim to be treated well.
Those arrested allege that police attempted to extort money from them in exchange for food, family visits or court appearances. They also denounce their prison conditions.
The prison authorities did not provide the facts.
According to the Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVP), Venezuelan prisons are more than 50% overcrowded.