IDC inmates voice concern

More than 110 inmates at the Aripo Immigration Detention Centre are concerned about overcrowding and the likelihood of the spread of covid19. The detainees, mostly Venezuelans, are asking to see Venezuelan Embassy staff.

Yesenia Gonzalez, a spokesman for the Latin American community in TT, said the detainees are being kept in several to a cell. Some are sick, but the only medicine they are taking is Panadol.

“We are talking about more than 70 men and more than 40 women. They are all being treated as common criminals, but they are not, they are only paying unfairly for the consequences of a terrible socio-economic crisis in their country of origin,” said Gonzalez.

She said she gets calls daily from relatives of the detainees.

“There is much concern because there are no responses either from the TT government or from the Venezuelan embassy linked to the Nicolas Maduro regime, from which they have not had any more visits,” she added.

Visits to IDC have been suspended since March 13, as a preventive measure against the spread of covid19. The Venezuelan Embassy has not commented on the situation .

Last week, Amnesty International recommended the release of people detained by immigration to prevent an increase in covid19 cases.

Gonzalez said many detainees have already served their sentences and others have deportation orders but remain in the IDC with no word from the authorities. Newsday tried to speak to Security Minister Stuart Young, but he did not respond to messages.