The Inter-American Court on Human Rights (IACHR) unanimously decided to enlarge the interim actions it took to protect the lives of the inmates in the penitentiary of Monagas, known as La Pica jail, in Monagas state, east Venezuela.

The seven justices comprising the international court made the unanimous move last February 9th based on allegations of the Venezuelan State calling the situation in the prison "shocking."

The plaintiffs -Carlos Ayala Corao, president of the Andean Commission of Lawyers; the Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons, and the Center for Justice and International Law (Cejil)- asked the IACHR to prevent further murders in La Pica jail.

Sergio García Ramírez, president of the hemispheric court, last January 13th imposed a binding order on the Venezuelan State to protect the inmates in La Pica jail, after the plaintiffs claimed that in 2005 43 inmates were killed and other 25 injured in this prison.

Lawyer Humberto Prado, general coordinator of the Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons, branded the IACHR move as historical. He explained that the Venezuelan State would have to render a new report on the jail situation by March 10th. "The Court demands compliance with international standards preventing inmates from holding weapons, and preventing jail overcrowding. It also calls for the separation of inmates, among other orders."