MANAUS, Brazil - Authorities in Brazil faced a growing backlash on Thursday after confirming they received warnings of an “imminent confrontation” between opposing gangs just days before 55 inmates were killed in violent prison clashes. Amazonas state prison authorities said they implemented a contingency plan on May 23, transferring some prisoners who appeared to be at risk at the Provisional Detention Center 1 in the city of Manaus to another facility. “There’s no way you can identify the ideal moment or exact moment when any event will happen,” said state prison secretary Vinicius Almeida. The priest also criticized privatizations in the Amazonas prison system. All four prisons where the killings took place Sunday and Monday were run under a public-private partnership with Brazilian company Umanizzare, according to the state prison secretary.

Source: thestar May 30, 2019 03:56 UTC