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Peru Prisoners Riot Over Coronavirus Fears

VOA News

   Tensions remain high at Peru's Miguel Castro and Huancayo prisons
   following a day of riots and protests by inmates over the government's
   coronavirus response on their behalf.

   Peru's National Penitentiary Institute confirmed Monday's uprising,
   with reportsof inmatessetting fires and demanding to be freed, as more
   inmates become infected with the disease.

   Reutersnews agencysays human rights groups are calling on the Peruvian
   government to allow house arrest during the pandemic.

   Earlier this week, President Martin Vizcarra extended a national
   quarantine until May 10 following a surge in covid-19 cases,
   butnoplanwasunveiledforinmates.

   Peru hasconfirmed 28,699cases of the coronavirus, the second highest
   total in Latin America after Brazil.

   So far, 782 people have died of the coronavirus in Peru.

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