Venezuela: 7,414 inmates held in CICPC 'parallel prisons' despite temporary-custody mandate

The Venezuelan Prison Observatory reports at least 7,414 detainees are held long-term in CICPC police cells meant for temporary custody, a practice enabled by a 2011 circular from then-official Iris Varela. The report highlights systemic overcrowding and rights violations, but the exact conditions and legal status of these detainees remain unclear. This underscores chronic prison-system dysfunction in Venezuela, with humanitarian implications for detainees.