these are the headlines... unconstitutional, allowing he will not allow it. the president in the country's history. at least ten people have been killed in a fire training centre and one of brazil's largest football clubs. amazon founder is accusing the media of black male. —— black male. this act that has died at the age of 82. initially, he was a shakespearean headline. these are your headlines. in the heart of the venezuelan capital, caracas, is one of the country's most notorious prisons. hundreds are packed inside the space age building

where criminals live alongside political prisoneres. there have been reports of horrific human rights‘ abuses. i have been speaking to former prisoners and guards to find out what is really going on inside el helicoide and to understand what it tells us about venezuela's catastrophic decline, from latin american powerhouse to economic disaster zone. recent years have seen venezuela spiral into chaos. in 2014 and 2017, massive antigovernment protests rip to the country. after 15 years of revolutionary

socialist rule under president hugo chavez and his successor nicolas maduro, the economy was in ruins. venezuelans were facing hyperinflation, food shortages, and soaring crime. the protesters were met by riot police and thousands were arrested. many were brought to el helicoide, the headquarters of the feared venezuelan secret police. a building who's extraordinary history mirrors venezuela itself. this is an absolutely iconic building across the whole of latin american. it is really nothing like it. this is a building that was supposed to be a 300 store spiral shopping mall. this is huge. this is really big.

cars were supposed to circulate up these ramps, up to the top. it is supposed to be visible from any point of the valley of caracas where it makes a delicate mark. el helicoide, named after its spiral helical structure, was conceived the 1950s. it's technologically advanced design with more than two miles of ramps that would enable customers to drive from shop to shop was met with international acclaim. the chilean poet described the building as one of the most explicit creations ever to have sprung from the mind of an architect. ——exquisite. the surrealist artist reportedly wanted his work displayed an exhibition halls. can you explain what the political and social context of venezuela was back then? venezuela in the 1950s is a country experiencing

profound change. globally, we are seeing the kind of post wwii reconstruction, and venezuelan oil, the industry, was booming. there was a real investment inside that idea of opportunity. it is a country that from 1948 has entered a period of military dictatorship and the mandate was we will progress if build. the brochures boasted that you have the equivalent of all the other stores and most of the city in one place. so you get people dancing, shopping, there were cinemas, there were hotels and a club, rows and rows and rows of different stores. that was going to be a shop window for everything venezuela could have been. the regime of venezuela's military dictator was overthrown and the construction

of el helicoide stolen. work of the building consist altogether in 1961. el helicoide went into bankruptcy. proposals to turn it into a public space came and went. from 1979 to 1982, it was used as an emergency flood and homeless shelter. as many as 10,000 people live there in makeshift huts and shipping containers. after 1982, the state still does not know what to do with this white elephant. so a decision is made to give two of the floors to the intelligence police. for more than three decades, el helicoide has housed the headquarters of the venezuelan intelligence service, now known as the sebin, an agency which reports directly to the president and has the reputation of acting with impunity, facing allegations of human rights abuses...

arbitrary detentions, corruption and intimidation. today, it is hard to find any dream in el helicoide. the building reflects this downward spiral of fortunes. it is a modern icon sitting inside a sea of shanty towns. what we are confronted with is economic decline, political polarisation, authoritarianism, embedded in this building that has had an absolute 180 degrees change in fortunes. rosmit mantilla is someone who knows the building well. a well—known lgbt rights and political activist, he was arrested for doing 2014 protests and accused of helping to finance them, a charge he denies. as the protest continued,

more prisoners were taken into el helicoide. working at the prison during this time were two prison guards who have agreed to speak to bbc. interviews with those inside the venezuelan secret police are rare, and we cannot reveal their identities because they feel the government will hurt their families. their names and voices have been changed, and they have both since left the service.

el helicoide was never meant to be a prison. and as more and more arrests were made, guards had to improvise. protesters, students, and even politicians, people from all walks of life, who were accused of antigovernment sympathies were thrown into makeshift sales alongside common criminals, drug traffickers, and violent offenders. estimates vary, but according to the ngo as of august last year, overcrowding had reached 300% with political prisoners, accounting for 80% of the present cosmic population. a former guard who spoke to estimates the jail could have been over six or seven times above capacity. the prisoners had names for each of these improvise cells. the fish

tank, the little tiger, and health. the most feared of them all was the one called once simoneau. i had been in regular contact with a number of former prisoners who were detained at el helicoide. all of them had described the systematic use of torture by the security service to obtain confessions. there are also other ways of forcing prisoners into making a confession. 64 retired pilot spent two years inside el helicoide, accused of financing antigovernment events. he was suffering with a lot of psychological pressure. he was seemingly repeatedly that an

and was transferred to a notorious criminal president. that is why he was told where he would face death from violent offenders running the place. in 2016, he felt seriously and. a judge authorised transferred to a clinic, but at the last moment,

someone clinic, but at the last moment, someone intervened. when he was el helicoide, he went to the national assembly. days after his release from prison in november 2016, he was white into congress, becoming congress's first openly gay congressman. he began testifying about what he saw and experienced and el helicoide. after he left el helicoide, the conditions continued to deteriorate. in may 2018, inmates took control of the present, demanding better conditions and freedom. security officials regain control shortly after, and many presidents by released or transferred to other residents. according to a former prisoners, around 150 are currently detained at the jail, but while the

country remains and time all, when will the breaking point happen once ain? will the breaking point happen once again? on the outside, venezuela continues to dissent by the anti—crisis. at the end of 2018, inflation has risen to more than 1,000,000%. many venezuelans are struggling to avoid basic toiletries and food. those who can, face never ending cues. public services like schools and transport are breaking down and hospitals are running short of life—saving drugs. more than 3 million desperate venezuelans have left the country, hoping to find a better life. he has also left the country. he was

given asylum in france where he continues to campaign for change and venezuela. for him and for many former inmates. el helicoide continues to cast a long shadow. hello there. we had snow to end last week. we had storm eric to end our viking week. this is one of the pictures sent and showing that turbulent flowing water early in the day. we had the wind and the rain in that going to still with us the start saturday. yes, the main rain and south has gone away, but my showers particularly in the north, and the winds remained strong. they had the potential to cause some disruption. they still had the potential to take off roof tiles, branches, even some trees. they are guessing at 60 or 70 mph and more exposed areas in the north, coupled that with some rain, and initially across essential areas, and that

eases the brain. the winds take a time to die down, so these are the quys time to die down, so these are the guys still evening it's a saturday afternoon. it is a lot more dry went around. temperatures will be on the piled for friday. give them more sunshine is like to winds. this could bring a very soggy night, saturday night and psyche * it's a sunday across southern areas, this what that brings some cold air coming down from the architect. this of snow on sunday, particularly on the welsh hills. this weather system sinks southwards, again giving that risk of snow over the hills. between of course, there will be some dryer and break out what that, but temperatures dip back on sunday because we had that cold arctic air. particularly in the window. the start of the new week see things settling down. we had that cold a blast of arctic air to enter sunday, but high pressure builds and as we

go through the new week. actually, we lose our wind and rain problems, and we are going to pick up some frost. not too much, but not to be ruled out, that breeze coming down from the south will accentuate the child temperatures, it will lower again on monday. it is cold air and we will start the dates with france. a little colder still, barely above freezing is how it will fail. today, very similar sets up. we stopped to pick upa very similar sets up. we stopped to pick up a south—westerly coming from the northwest. chilly here with times of rain. most of us, chilly start with light winds. generally, it isa start with light winds. generally, it is a little bit less cold on tuesday. a little bit moderate. we that chilly and frost as well. by wednesday, we are picking up more of a south—westerly as the high becomes established for the eastward. the bus stop to seek temperatures just lifting a little bit by day. we are starting to feel the effects of the

strength of a strengthening sunshine. ten and 11 spent double figures. you can see that it is pledging that cold air and southwards across the east. as it moves said the north of us, and bills across the atlantic, so pull in some slightly warm air, it is starting to feel a little less cold, but not at night. the nights are still not enough for some frost. that night frost will at times, there will be weighed and rain the ending the north as other, all the warnings are on the website. but for me, bye—bye. confidentiality agreements are under scrutiny as the owner of topshop, sir philip green, ends his legal case against the daily telegraph. the billionaire has condemned allegations in the paper and denies unlawful sexual and racist behaviour and gross misconduct. some of his alleged victims still can't speak out.

i really genuinely think he thought he could get this lawsuit with the telegraph and win, and again, by and push his way through silencing people. and tonight, there are further allegations about sir philip's behaviour towards employees. also tonight. the greeting was warm, but how were their talks, as mrs may and ireland's leo varadkar discuss her brexit deal. after the death of four children in a house fire in stafford,