Well, it´s safe to say one of our most surreal, weird, and interesting experiences was our visit to the very famous San Pedro Prison, in the center of La Paz.
We took a cab to San Pedro square like we were told, and just hung around outside hoping and waiting for someone to come out from the prison to talk to us. (Formal tours are not allowed). We quickly found a small group of gringos - who had been waiting for quite a while. However, we picked an interesting day to do this: the streetfront of the prison was crowded with police and there seemed to be a lot of commotion. When a man finally emerged to come talk to us, he explained that there was a bit of a ¨problem¨... just the day before, not only had there been a double murder of 2 inmates, but also a Chilean newspaper released an article on the prison, which reported how corrupt the tours were. They were hesitant to take more tour groups in with the bad press, but the guy still came through and paid off the cops and he took us all in one by one - with my camera hidden in Alyece`s pants.
We were then taken inside and introduced to our guide, a European convicted cocaine dealer, who would not give us his name, and our three bodyguards whose records we were unaware of which was probably for the best. (The prisoners are all very eager to be bodyguards because they get a cut of the tip money) But our guide assured us, nothing bad would happen to us as long as we stayed close to him.
(Our drug dealer guide on the left, and one of our bodyguards on the right)The prison itself was incredibly interesting, famous for being a community within itself. It contains multiple sections, completely organized, with a chosen leader, it´s own colors, own soccer team and everything.
(A look at one of the sections, with one of our bodyguards in the background watching our backs) 10pm every night the gates are closed off to each of the sections. Our guide warned us that if you choose to sleep with someone else and aren`t home to your section by 6am you are kicked into the pool as punishment.
(The pool is being re-filled because this is where the knife fight and consequent deaths took place the night before we arrived)Even more interesting, is the fact that the prisoners have to buy their own cells. The nicest and most expensive cells range from $800 to $1000 US dollars (a crazy amount of money for a Bolivian). If the prisoners cannot affort to buy a cell, they must either share with a huge group or can pay to rent a cell. This usually involves working in the prison, in the kitchen, or as a security guard etc.
(The ´shanty town´ part of the prison - the prisoners have actually made there cells out of cardboard and many have their whole families living in them) The prisoners are only given one meal a day and the rest, if they want to eat, they have to pay for. The whole community is crazy, with small tiendas (little stores), even little make-shift restaurants.
(Some of the children living in the prison) Because it´s a communal, many of the prisoners wives sell artisan goods, and toys, or whatever they can, on the outside (and the inside) to try and survive.
(Painting some toys on the roof)
(Some prisoners are extremely talented with the limited materials they are given. This dragon was very very impressive to see)The prison itself is quite small, with 1600 prisoners, not including wives and children.
(The kitchen that feeds 1600 people a day)
(The gym - old tin cans filled to make weight) On the inside of the prison there are no actual guards. There is an ´eye in the sky´, but the security guards are actually prisoners, that work as security guards to keep the peace. (The actual guards are only at the perimeter and are guide informed us, the police only show up when there is a problem)
(Me and one of the prisoners who was working as a security guard - this pic cost me a package of cigarettes and earned me one admirer)Some more photos of the prison:
(Alyece with one of our bodyguards)
(the wall that separates one side of the prison from the other. Our guide told us, everyday, prisoners climb from one side to the other and back, to get cocaine and alcohol)
Some of the prisoners have nothing left to wait for on the outside. We met one convicted murderer who had served his complete sentence and did not want to leave. Instead, he chooses to live under the stairs of the prison. He has painted ¨Hotel Bolivar¨ above the stairs and is quite famous in the prison.
During the tour our guide gave us various speeches about how ¨life is worth nothing on the inside¨ and you have to be watching your back at all times. My favorite part was when shortly after he gave us a speech about how ¨¨absolutely nothing was for free in prison¨, he told me to go in a cell with two men, and then told them to ¨say hello to the pretty girl¨, at which point no one else in the group followed me in. It was one of the only times I was a little nervous during the tour (I thought maybe he was gonna shut the door and leave me in there).
At the end of the tour, as we had been told, he guided us up to a little cell and closed the door behind us with the three bodyguards standing guard. He then, not so discreetly, tried to sell us cocaine. There was a bit of an awkward silence as no one in the group said anything, but after we tipped him he let us out and that concluded our jail tour.
Definitely a crazy experience!
No comments:
Post a Comment