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Ilustración del exterior de una estación de Policía en Leticia, Amazonas, al anochecer
La fuerza pública recuperó el control de la estación de Policía de Leticia tras el intento de motín del sábado 24 de octubre. · Erick Prometeo Media

Attempted riot in Leticia over delays in transfers and hearings

An attempted riot at the Leticia Police station on Saturday, October 24 exposed complaints over conditions, food, judicial delays and transfers.

--- The context --- In Leticia, capital of the Amazonas department, several people remain held at the Police station while they wait for their legal situation to be defined or for referral to a prison. According to the first known information, some detainees say they have spent months in cells intended for short stays, a prolonged stay that built up complaints over living conditions and over waiting for a transfer place. --- The facts --- On Saturday, October 24, an attempted riot took place in the station cells, according to preliminary information. The complaints included better detention conditions, decent food, faster judicial proceedings and transfers to penitentiary establishments. Relatives of some detainees arrived at the scene out of concern over what was happening inside the station. During the afternoon the situation escalated and public forces intervened. Accounts gathered in the area indicate that officers used tear gas to contain the protest inside the cells and that the Fire Department sprayed water to reduce the effects of the chemical agent on the detained people. The area was cordoned off with support from the National Army while officials verified what had happened. --- The positions --- The detainees questioned delays in hearings and transfers, an issue that pressures stations holding people deprived of liberty for prolonged periods. A spokesperson for the mayor's office said there was damage in the holding area and, according to that account, damage was reported to the bathroom, the roof and the locks, although the security operation restored control and the episode did not escalate further. The same spokesperson said the presence of the Public Ministry was requested and that the Ombudsman's Office was contacted to accompany checks on conditions and on the procedure applied. The official also said the national prison agency, Inpec, must intervene in receiving detainees and linked the duty to guarantee rights and food to municipal financial difficulties. As a possible trigger, accounts gathered in the area mention a decision to transfer a person implicated in the Amazonas Departmental Assembly case, without that version being confirmed as the cause. --- What remains unknown --- Authorities have not yet released a full report on possible injuries or on the extent of damage to the facilities. The official cause of the attempted riot has not been specified either, nor have the measures to be adopted in response to the detainees' complaints. The community and relatives await that official report. --- Unanswered questions --- How long have the detainees been held in cells designed for short stays? What did the Public Ministry and the Ombudsman's Office verify about conditions and the procedure applied? What decisions will the security council scheduled for Monday, October 26 take on transfers and food? --- EPM analysis --- The episode brings together a prolonged tension between temporary custody and extended stays. When hearings and transfers are delayed, the station concentrates complaints over conditions, food and proceedings that exceed its initial role, while the mayor's office points to financial limits and the question of prison reception remains pending an institutional answer. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, what happened in Leticia shows the cost of holding people for months in cells designed for short stays, without timely transfers or swift hearings. Guaranteeing decent food and basic conditions is not an optional gesture, but an obligation that remains while the state keeps custody. The immediate response restored control, yet the solution requires faster proceedings, coordinated reception with the prison agency and a full official report that addresses the underlying complaints raised by the detainees.
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