COMAYAGUA, Honduras — Two of the bodies were found facing one another in a large sink, their remains completely blackened. Others were squished together in the prison bathroom where they had sought refuge from the flames, their bodies an indistinguishable mass. If not for a split-second decision, Hector Daniel Martinez could have also died horrifically […]
OPINION: It’s unfortunate that it takes a prison fire killing 300 people to raise awareness of the problems with Latin America’s prison systems. Beyond this one terrible event, the general state of this hemisphere’s prisons are a daily human rights tragedy. Honduras is among the worst of the region, with serious overcrowding, undertrained staff and […]
Héctor Iván Mejía of the National Police of Honduras read the names of surviving persons in the prison fire at the Comayagua penitentiary: Elmer Matute Sánchez Juan Ramón Ramos Arturo Rodríguez Salinas Mauricio Chicas Francisco Mejía Luis Antonio Rivera Allan Antony Ramos Concepción Hernández Angel Roberto Banegas Rudy Marcial Chicas Kevin Cabrera Mejía Victor Alfonso […]
President Porfirio Lobo Sosa has summoned an emergency meeting of the Honduras Security Council following last night’s tragic event. The meeting at the Presidential Palace will explore the details of the fire at the prison in Comayagua. Attendees include the Minister of Human Rights, Ana Pineda, the Minister of the Interior, Áfrico Madrid, Ministers of […]
Current death toll count: 350 A fire has swept through the Comayagua prison, killing those inside, many burned to death in their cells. The prosecutors’ office announced the death count at a radio news conference. The head of the national prison system, Danilo Orellana, said the fire broke out Tuesday night at the prison in […]