A governor in Venezuela says at least 36 people have been killed during clashes between inmates and security forces at a prison in the country's south.
Gov. Liborio Guarulla of Amazonas state says the bloodshed came after fighting erupted between inmates and their jailers Tuesday night.
An official at Venezuela's chief prosecutor's office confirmed the death toll but declined further comment Wednesday.
Venezuela has around 30 prisons, many of which suffer from overcrowding and are dominated by criminal gangs that traffic in weapons and narcotics.