translated from Spanish: Omissions cause more than 220 COVID contagions in Chihuahua criminals

In the face of the increase in COVID-19 contagions in three Centres for Social Reintegration (Ceresos) in Chihuahua, which already produced seven deaths and 221 confirmed cases, relatives of inmates filed six complaints with the State Commission on Human Rights (ECHR), while the agency initiated another ex officio investigation in the penal court of Ciudad Juárez for the same reason.
The alert was generated by the situation of overcrowding and coexistence that exists in the prisons of the state.
Among the deceased inmates is the former director of the Chihuahua Trust for the Promotion of Productive Activities (Fideapech), Joaquín Lázaro López Ramírez, who faced a circumstances trial in a case related to the accusations that include other former state officials, such as the former governor, César Duarte Jáquez, who remains detained in the United States for extradition to Mexico.
‘Deny medical service’, relative complaint of González Tachiquín
Another of the former officials of the last state administration, the former Secretary of Education, Manuel Marcelo González Tachiquin, was positive for suffering and is already incommunicado in the penal of Aquiles Serdán, which aroused the anguish of his family, exposed to La Verdad Miriam González Martínez, sister of the affected.
Read: Prisons face COVID with overpopulation, no doctors or medical supplies: CNDH
He indicated that they put the requirement for their family member to be moved from that place to a more health-safe one because he was in a situation of high vulnerability as he was denied the quality medical service he required.
In addition, from this Thursday they were unable to communicate with him because, apparently, they isolated him, when they spoke to the family every day.
They even plan to file a complaint with human rights agencies.
Tachiquín González has been detained since 7 January 2019 on charges of peculado within the files 20/2019, 11/2019, 3464/2018 and 1139/20, trials that have already been settled by the federal courts that determined his innocence, the informant said.
However, Miriam explained, the state authorities opened a fifth folder for him in order to retain him, so he is currently under the precautionary measure of pre-trial detention and throughout the process his human rights were violated and he was placed in situations of great complexity and abuse.
Although a judge authorized an electronic bracelet and financial guarantee to deal with the process outside of prison, the State Government does not allow him to leave for persecution and political rematch, he explained.
This whole situation was presented publicly through a letter, signed by the indicter’s mother, Selma del Carmen Tachiquín de González, which he directs to federal authorities.
The urgency experienced by the family is due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Cereso 1, where he is detained, and being denied what is required by law.
After the death of López Ramírez, whose wife, Luz María Martínez, testified before media in the state capital that the man presented complications from COVID-19 and died the afternoon of the previous Wednesday from the illness he contracted in the achilles serdán prison, the alarm grew.
In a statement, the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) reported that a program for the detection and care of symptoms of the condition was implemented, as well as special areas for patient care.
Care and pre-liberalcy is managed: ECHR
In the face of complaints by relatives of inmates, the President of the ECHR, Néstor Armendáriz Loya, reported that precautionary measures will be requested and a general proposal will be submitted to the health and prison authorities to establish health measures to help reduce contagions arising from overcrowding and cohabitation in small spaces.
These conditions, he noted, expose prisoners to conditions of high vulnerability.
Read: Lack of evidence prevents you from knowing the impact of COVID-19 on prisons
Armendáriz Loya made known, through a statement, that the ECHR made various arrangements at the request of relatives of inmates requesting their intervention for medical care and, if necessary, the affected persons are transferred to a hospital, as well as establishing mechanisms to be able to communicate with them.
The document states that prudential measures will be requested from the authorities to safeguard the health and life of patients because, when they are in state custody, their care is the responsibility of the authorities because they cannot seek medical care or access the care they require on their own.
The ECHR sIt will provide information from all people with COVID-19 infection, as well as a medical history, illness, and medical treatment provided to them.
In addition, it will call on the Council of the Judiciary of the Judiciary of the State, as recommended by the Court and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, to analyse the cases of persons already sentenced who may be subject to pre-release.
The situation of those under process will also be requested to review a possible modification to the precautionary measure to depressurize detention centres and reduce the risk of virus spread.
The official added that the same way the case of vulnerable inmates, such as older adults or comorities such as diabetes, hypertension or obesity, will be requested.
The Deputy Director of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health of Chihuahua (SSCh), Gumaro Barrios Gallegos, assured on Thursday that the responsible of each Health Jurisdiction where the criminals with coVID-19 affectation came to monitor the health protocols of prevention and treatment.
The health official stated that all situations that arise in the Ceresos, where SSCh epidemiologists attend, are addressed to validate the steps in order to meet the criteria of preventive measures.
He explained that in the state just over 8,000 people are being held in state prisons.
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Original source in Spanish