Colombia guard held after drug lord flees through open door

colombia

A prison guard has been arrested in Colombia following the escape of gang leader Juan Castro from the maximum-security La Picota jail in Bogotá. Castro, better known under his alias “Matamba”, escaped in the early hours of Friday and is still on the run. CCTV footage appears to show him leaving through an open cell door wearing a guard’s uniform. President Iván Duque said he was outraged by Matamba’s escape and announced a reform of the jail system. The director of La Picota has been suspended along with more than 50 prison guards who were on shift at the time of Matamba’s escape, according to prosecutor Margarita Cabello. Guards noticed Matamba was not in his cell during the early morning roll call on Friday. Surveillance footage released by Colombia’s prison service shows a man they say is Matamba calmly leaving the prison wing through a door left ajar in what looks like a guard’s uniform. No guards are seen in the footage, only a little dog appears to notice the man leaving.(BBC)…[+]