Umbrella Street and San Pedro prison

We walked along Umbrella Street, which was so much busier than yesterday, to get to the infamous San Pedro prison.  This unique institution flouts international law by being located slap bang in the middle of the city.  There have been calls to close it down for years, but that is not likely to happen anytime soon.  

The prison is the only one in La Paz for convicted males.  There are two other female prisons in the city.  San Pedro is remarkable for many reasons, not least because it is self-governing.  It is run by the prisoners themselves.  There are no police officers of prison wardens within the jail.  The few officers posted outside are corrupt and open to bribes.  There are women and children living in San Pedro, the families of male prisoners, who don't have the money to survive outside while their men are incarcerated.  Within the jail, everything is controlled by money.  The government doesn't fund anything.  Prisoners have to buy or rent their own cell, provide their own food, and support themselves in every way.  Convicts who can't afford accommodation end up surviving on the streets within the prison.  It is like a town inside the walls with restaurants, shops, tailors, carpenters, doctors, pharmacists, and so much more.

It is said that the majority of Bolivian cocaine is manufactured inside San Pedro prison!

Shockingly, Coca-Cola sponsor many things within San Pedro.  There was a Coca-Cola lorry outside while we were there, delivering supplies.  The company pay for the kits worn by the football and other sports teams that compete inside the prison.

It was fascinating to hear about the workings of San Pedro.  I am now reading Marching Powder by Rusty Young, a first hand account of life within the prison.Read more