RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Four prisoners involved in the Altamira Regional Recovery Center massacre in southwestern Pará were killed by suffocation inside the cell truck on Tuesday night, July 30th, during their transfer to Belém units. With these murders, the number of victims in the attack is now 62 — the largest prison-related slaughter in the country this year.
Thirty inmates were in the vehicle, and all had been moved from Altamira for allegedly taking part in the attack by the local Comando Classe A (CCA) faction against members of the rival Comando Vermelho (CV).
In a note, the government of Pará states that it is investigating the deaths’ circumstances and whether all of the detainees transferred were CCA. “They were from the same faction and shared the same cells. They were accomplices in the confrontation between factions,” says the government’s spokesperson Helder Barbalho (MDB).
The deaths occurred on the way between the cities of Novo Repartimento and Marabá, between 7 PM Tuesday and 1 AM Wednesday, July 31st.
“They were handcuffed and divided into four cells during transportation. The cells’ capacity was for up to 40 prisoners, and 30 were being transported. The State does not own a truck with individual cells,” the note states.
According to the government’s version, officers in charge of security would not have noticed the action. “When they arrived in Marabá, the agents found four prisoners killed by asphyxiation in two cells,” he said. “All 26 remaining prisoners will be placed in isolation. The reasons for this unfortunate event are under investigation.”