This archive report was first published on 7 August 2019.
On August 6, 2019, a shocking video emerged of a Brazilian inmate attempting to escape from a high-security prison by disguising himself as his daughter.
Clauvino da Silva, a 42-year-old inmate serving a 73-year sentence for drug dealing, donned a silicone mask with long black hair and a teenage-themed t-shirt in a desperate bid to fool the prison guards.
However, his plan was foiled when the guards noticed that it was not his 19-year-old daughter. The video of the failed escape attempt was released by Brazil's prison authorities and quickly went viral.
Tragically, da Silva was found dead in his cell on Tuesday, with prison officials stating that he appeared to have taken his own life.
Da Silva's death comes on the heels of a massive gang battle in a prison in northern Brazil that killed 57 people on July 30, including 16 prisoners who were decapitated.
The incident highlights the ongoing issues with Brazil's overcrowded and underfunded prison system, which has seen numerous violent incidents in recent years, including the deaths of 55 inmates in gang-related riots at four prisons in western Brazil in May 2017.
