Guards were too chummy and failed to take precautions to prevent inmates from seizing weapons and hostages at a northern prison, the ex-warden said Saturday, the third day of the standoff.
"It was known for some time that there was a plan to take the prison, and emergency plans should have been devised to counteract this," the former prison chief said.Authorities buttressed security outside the jail with armored cars Saturday while negotiations continued to end the uprising, which has left four guards dead.
About 10 to 15 inmates took over the Valledupar district prison Thursday, overpowering guards, taking as many as 15 hostages and seizing weapons. A large number of the prison's 596 inmates apparently joined the takeover.
The inmates, believed to be led by leftist guerrilla Omar Manrique Lozano, said they seized 15 hostages initially. They released a female guard and a 14-year-old girl on Friday.