Inmates at Barinas prison in western Venezuela staged a protest on the facility's roof on Sunday, setting fire to mattresses and demanding the removal of the prison director.

The prisoners accused the director of overseeing guards who they claim shot at unarmed inmates during what they described as a peaceful demonstration. Video shared by the Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons, a local NGO, showed a man with what appeared to be a bullet wound to his chest.

"We want justice. They are shooting us, the guards and the wardens," a prisoner said in the video posted on social media platform X by the prison rights organization.

The inmates maintained their protest was non-violent but alleged that security forces deployed to suppress the demonstration opened fire on them, resulting in wounded prisoners. The Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons documented the incident as part of ongoing concerns about conditions in the country's prison system.

The protest centered on allegations of mistreatment and abuse by prison staff. Prisoners called for accountability and the removal of prison leadership they hold responsible for the alleged violence against inmates.

Venezuela's prison system has long faced criticism from human rights organizations over poor conditions, overcrowding, and reports of violence involving both inmates and guards.