Prisoners riot over conditions

Inmates rioted at a prison near Asuncion to press a list of demands, including nighttime conjugal visits and an end to alleged mistreatment by guards.

They seized the Esperanza prison’s director and other administrators, demanding the nighttime visits and an end to mistreatment by guards.

Paraguayan prisons allow such visits during the day, but that limitation clashes with working hours at Esperanza, where inmates have jobs, many at a prison clothing factory.

Justice Minister Derlis Osorio said the riot ended after four hours with no deaths or injuries.

It was not clear whether prison authorities agreed to allow nighttime conjugal visits, but news media reported that they agreed to investigate claims of abuse and end strip searches of visitors.