That Other Public Authority in Venezuela Called "Pranes"

What happened recently in the General Prison of Venezuela has left us amazed. The official version released by the authorities is even hard to believe, but as the saying goes, silence means consent and in this case the Minister of Correctional Services, Iris Varela, who is well known for her quick responses, has not said or tweeted a single word on the issue. She has not even insulted the complainant, as she usually does. All of this leads us to think that the allegations are true. According to Carlos Nieto Palma, director of local NGO Una Ventana a la Libertad (a window to freedom), the gang leader (aka pran) ruling the so-called prison of San Juan de los Morros, located in the capital of Guárico state, had ordered the kidnapping of a group of officials – 42 to be precise – who worked in that prison, then to require the transfer of more prisoners to the same, because the profits generated by the "cause" had decreased. Apparently, and as happens to all Venezuelans, inflation is also affecting the quality of life of this pran. More…