Security boss sidesteps criticism after jail massacre

Public Security Minister Rolando Mirones facing increasing criticism over mounting street crime capped by the Tuesday massacre of 15 inmates of La Joyita prison, and the uncovering of arsenals of weapons inside the penitentiary said on Saturday, December 21 that he will continue in his position. despite the criticism he has received in recent days

 “We have to work regardless of what social networks [Citizens]say.  They have every right to have an opinion … But it is exactly the same thing they say to a fireman, who is putting out a fire, not to continue because he is to blame for the fire,” Mirones said after a meeting in the National Emergency Service with the National Police and the Ministry of Government, responsible for preparing the report demanded by President Laurentino Cortizo on what happened in La Joyita on December 17.

According to Mirones :  “We are part of the solution, we are not part of the problem. We have a very difficult situation and believe me I doubt very much that there is a volunteer who wants to come and do our work. ”

Mirones said that at the meeting they also discussed plans to “prevent future situations” like the one that occurred in the prison..

He said  that what they have found in recent days is “the product of neglect that I would think has built up over  10 years such as the entry of weapons and drugs.

In La Joyita they found places where the weapons that were used for the massacre were kept. “They are weapons that were in a place that is impossible to have been done without noise,” he said.  Special equipment could have been used to make the hiding places. “We are even talking about engineering work,” he said.