Before I left, I told myself it would be a great trip if I just managed to stay out of 2 places. The hospital, and prison. I made an exception.
San Pedro Prison in La Paz, Bolivia is such an extremely wierd place that it has actually become a tourist attraction! I had to go! Paying off people to let you into the prison is the standard mode of operation. I know, its wierd, actually paying to go into prison....I haven't gone mad...just let me explain.
Officially the prison is off limits to tourist. So, you find a guy who knows a guy, who's cousins', ex-wife's, daughter was there at some point (you get the idea). We follow some lady into the prison who we met in the park outside. By the way, the park was lovely, and the prison sits right in downtown La Paz, prime real estate for this town, it was just a short walk from my hostel. Immediatly after passing the first set of gaurds she took us into a waiting cell, and closed the door. I was nervous, but she came back moments later with instructions. Go to the guard write your name and passport number, he will sign your arm for entry, and then go into prison, your guide Louis Fellipe will be waiting for you inside. We followed the instructions accordingly, and soon we were in prison.
That was the last I saw of any guard. This 'prison' is more like a neighborhood of criminals, who now get one free meal a day, at lunchtime. There are 8 neighborhoods in all. Some are upper class, and offer inmates/residents gardens, apartments with private baths, billards halls, day care facilities (inmates serving more than 5 years are allowed to have their spouses and children live with them, they can come and go from the prison as they please), resturaunts and bars, and public showers and suanas. On the other hand, there are the slums- where inmates sleep in glorified cardboard boxes. The prison has a set budget, and each week the presidents of the neighborhoods, or sections, get together and negotiate how their money will be sent. Structual improvements are often needed, since the building looks to date back a couple of hundred years.
The upside of having a prison that is lacking in structual soundness is, of course, the possibility of escape. In fact, just three days ago 5 prisoners escaped. How? Well, the formed the quite ingeneous plan to dig a hole through the prison wall....which is made of dried mud. It took them 2 months, and they planned to exit into a small wheeled cart selling goods on the street outside. Aparently all went well, they have not been caught.
Our 'guide' was actually a Portugeus guy, in for drug trafficing charges. He has been in for 8 months and not been to trial. As far as I'm concerned this guy may as well have been straight from Sicily...he was 100% mobster!, complete with the slicked back black hair and black sport coat. Admitedly guilty, he didn't want to be extradited- hopeing instead, to raise enough money in the prison to pay off the right people and be released. Back in Portugal, nobody the wiser. At the end of the tour he took us into what must have been one of the nicer cells, and had a sit down with us....to discuss his tip. Many other men were in the cell as well, including the entourage who followed us for the tour (all of whom I'm sure were getting a cut of what we paid) and some new gentelman, who I can only assume were the leaders of the section we were in. We gave him a 15 Boliviano tip ($2) and a pack of cigerettes. Thank him, he was gratified, and we were shown the door.
Lets see- what other crazy things am I missing here??, they have soccer tournaments. One section has a cement f
ield, you pay more for a cell with a view of the action. Also, you are allowed to fix up your place. If your making enough money inside, you can build on an addition! All prisoners hold the keys to their own cells. You have the option to rent or buy a cell upon entry. And if you own, when you are released, you sell you 'cell' to whoever wants to buy it! Literally their were signs on the walls, just like in our cities, advertising real estate for sale.
Try to keep in mind that this is a prison! I'm walking around rapest, murderers and drug dealers, here. This is the only prison in La Paz, and anyone who has commited a crime here, ends up in this prison.
I think this was the most outrageous expierence of my trip thus far.
San Pedro Prison, La Paz.
San Pedro Prison in La Paz, Bolivia is such an extremely wierd place that it has actually become a tourist attraction! I had to go! Paying off people to let you into the prison is the standard mode of operation. I know, its wierd, actually paying to go into prison....I haven't gone mad...just let me explain.
Officially the prison is off limits to tourist. So, you find a guy who knows a guy, who's cousins', ex-wife's, daughter was there at some point (you get the idea). We follow some lady into the prison who we met in the park outside. By the way, the park was lovely, and the prison sits right in downtown La Paz, prime real estate for this town, it was just a short walk from my hostel. Immediatly after passing the first set of gaurds she took us into a waiting cell, and closed the door. I was nervous, but she came back moments later with instructions. Go to the guard write your name and passport number, he will sign your arm for entry, and then go into prison, your guide Louis Fellipe will be waiting for you inside. We followed the instructions accordingly, and soon we were in prison.
That was the last I saw of any guard. This 'prison' is more like a neighborhood of criminals, who now get one free meal a day, at lunchtime. There are 8 neighborhoods in all. Some are upper class, and offer inmates/residents gardens, apartments with private baths, billards halls, day care facilities (inmates serving more than 5 years are allowed to have their spouses and children live with them, they can come and go from the prison as they please), resturaunts and bars, and public showers and suanas. On the other hand, there are the slums- where inmates sleep in glorified cardboard boxes. The prison has a set budget, and each week the presidents of the neighborhoods, or sections, get together and negotiate how their money will be sent. Structual improvements are often needed, since the building looks to date back a couple of hundred years.
The upside of having a prison that is lacking in structual soundness is, of course, the possibility of escape. In fact, just three days ago 5 prisoners escaped. How? Well, the formed the quite ingeneous plan to dig a hole through the prison wall....which is made of dried mud. It took them 2 months, and they planned to exit into a small wheeled cart selling goods on the street outside. Aparently all went well, they have not been caught.
Our 'guide' was actually a Portugeus guy, in for drug trafficing charges. He has been in for 8 months and not been to trial. As far as I'm concerned this guy may as well have been straight from Sicily...he was 100% mobster!, complete with the slicked back black hair and black sport coat. Admitedly guilty, he didn't want to be extradited- hopeing instead, to raise enough money in the prison to pay off the right people and be released. Back in Portugal, nobody the wiser. At the end of the tour he took us into what must have been one of the nicer cells, and had a sit down with us....to discuss his tip. Many other men were in the cell as well, including the entourage who followed us for the tour (all of whom I'm sure were getting a cut of what we paid) and some new gentelman, who I can only assume were the leaders of the section we were in. We gave him a 15 Boliviano tip ($2) and a pack of cigerettes. Thank him, he was gratified, and we were shown the door.
Lets see- what other crazy things am I missing here??, they have soccer tournaments. One section has a cement f
ield, you pay more for a cell with a view of the action. Also, you are allowed to fix up your place. If your making enough money inside, you can build on an addition! All prisoners hold the keys to their own cells. You have the option to rent or buy a cell upon entry. And if you own, when you are released, you sell you 'cell' to whoever wants to buy it! Literally their were signs on the walls, just like in our cities, advertising real estate for sale.Try to keep in mind that this is a prison! I'm walking around rapest, murderers and drug dealers, here. This is the only prison in La Paz, and anyone who has commited a crime here, ends up in this prison.
I think this was the most outrageous expierence of my trip thus far.
San Pedro Prison, La Paz.
1 comment:
Amigos! We are here!
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