Father claims son 'eaten alive' by notorious cannibal, inmates in Venezuelan prison

A Venezuelan man says his son was eaten alive by a notorious cannibal in prison, who then forced other inmates to join him in the horrific attack.

Juan Carlos Herrera said a witness told him his 25-year-old son was butchered on the instruction of an inmate serving time for cannibalism at the Táchira Detention Centre, Fox News reported.

Mr Herrera said the government did nothing to stop the alleged atrocity which he claims happened during a month-long mutiny.

The shocking allegations come as Venezuela’s economic crisis has worsened, reportedly leaving inmates starving to death amid food shortages.

Mr Herrera's son Juan Carlos Herrera Jnr was jailed in 2015 for robbery.

“One of those who were with him when he was murdered saw everything that happened,” Mr Herrera told reporters in Venezuela.

“My son and two others were taken by 40 people, stabbed, hanged to bleed, and then butchered ... to feed all detainees,” he added.

“The (inmate) with whom I spoke to told me that he was beaten with a hammer (in order) to force him to eat the remains of the two boys."

Mr Herrera has begged for at least one bone of his son so he can give him a Christian burial and relieve some of this pain.

In early September, a group of prisoners took eight visitors and two guards hostage, in protest to the overcrowded conditions.

The group demanded some of the 350 prisoners be transferred somewhere else. The government authorised the detention centre to transfer 16 inmates one month later.

But in that time, Mr Herrera Jnr and another inmate, Anthony Correa, were unaccounted for.

The Minister of Correctional Affairs Iris Varela confirmed the disappearance but denied the cannibalism allegations.

Ms Varela said the distraught father was being told lies that can be “easily debunked".