Bizarre luxuries found in a Venezuelan prison… run by inmates!

Venezuela is the country of beauty queens, paradisiacal beaches, the highest waterfall in the world, and... a government that's struggling to control society. In fact, anarchy reigns under the socialist regime of Nicolas Maduro.

From the city streets to the countryside, the beaches, and the Amazon, criminal gangs have made spaces for themselves to rule and exploit the country. The general lawlessness of Venezuela, confirmed by media like The New York Times, Fox Business ('Pirates Rule'), and Reuters ('Mad Max Violence'), even affects the one place where the state is supposed to have the absolute upper hand: prison.

A curious example is the Tocoron Penitentiary Center. Normally, a prison like this should be run by police and military authorities, but here, it has been run by criminal gangs. The leading gang is called 'El Tren de Aragua,' the 'train of Aragua,' named after the region where the jail is located. 

The prison was built in the early 80s to accommodate 750 inmates. However, by 2016, it housed a population of more than 7,000 prisoners. An untenable situation.

After years of madness, the Venezuelan government decided to retake control of the prison. Approximately 11,000 security personnel were necessary to get into the penitentiary and regain control over the complex. What they found when they arrived, was absolutely stunning.

What did the authorities see when they were finally able to enter the topsy-turvy world of Tocoron prison? Have a look at the unusual things the prisoners built for themselves...

Photo: Runrun via BBC

Yes, you read it correctly: a zoo. With a jaguar, flamingos, and some other exotic animals. The inmates must have been animal lovers.

Picture: Zuoqi Liu / Unsplash

Well, why not? Considering that in Venezuela it's summertime almost 365 days a year, a pool comes in handy anywhere. 

Picture: @AlertaMundial2 / Twitter

Inmates had access to restaurants with terraces to enjoy their meals in the open air. They could also get their food to go, although it may be difficult for us, simple-minded people, to imagine where they would actually go.

This may give you an idea of the mobility at Tocoron penitentiary. Inside the prison, small villages or neighborhoods existed where people who were not prisoners could live alongside the inmates. A woman named Gladys Hernández told AFP: "I was living in there, but they [the authorities] kicked us out."

With a surface of 116 hectares (286 acres), who would want to spend their time walking around the prison complex? It is only logical that the inmates needed a motorcycle dealership to get the latest choppers and ride around.

Since families settled in the penitentiary without being convicted of a crime, it was common for children to run around and play. Naturally, the prison needed a playground for them. Right?

Photo: @AlertaMundial2 / Twitter

Financial technology could not be lacking in the Tocoron Penitentiary Center. Like real cryptocurrency entrepreneurs, the inmates had computers that were mining Bitcoin for them. 

Security in a prison must always be top of the bill, especially when there are expensive motorcycles and Bitcoin-mining operations in the vicinity. The point is that the weapons should normally be in the hands of the authorities and not the prisoners.

Very much in the style of 'The Shawshank Redemption,' the prisoners had a tunnel of about 5 kilometers (3 miles) leading to the outside world.

As opposed to most prisoners, the inmates of Tocoron would go back and forth through the tunnel. They'd get coffee, go shopping, or visit the beach. In the end, life was always better on the inside than on the outside, so the prisoners came back almost every time. 

Image: Venezuela Nacional Police

When Venezuelans talk about Tokyo, they usually don't mean the Japanese capital. 'Tokio' is a famous nightclub that draws international DJs and has the most advanced neon light installations, theme parties, drinks, and drugs. Where is it located? Inside the Tocoron Penitentiary Center, of course!

Picture: Runrun

To be able to consume in the different restaurants, stores, the nightclub, and the motorcycle dealership, inmates need cash. So the most logical and sensible thing to do is to have ATMs in the jail.

Picture: Eduardo Soares / Unsplash

Baseball is one of the Venezuelans' favorite sports, so Tocoron Penitentiary Center would not be complete without its own baseball stadium. According to El Nacional, the sports field is fully equipped and even in a better state than many of the Venezuelan stadiums on the 'outside.' 

Photo: @AlertaMundial2 / Twitter

According to 2001online, some inmates claimed that there were gambling centers, liquor stores, and butcher shops. Journalists didn't get to see those, but considering the things they did confirm, anything is possible in Tocoron.

Picture: Runrun

An individual who preferred to remain anonymous told Runrun that there were 'banks' in the prison managed by gang bosses. They were meant for the population to pay what the gangs call 'La Causa.' 

Photo: Konstantin Evdokimov / Unsplash

'La Causa' (The Cause) is the amount of money the prisoners pay to stay safe from harm. The administration of the money and prison affairs is in the hands of the 'Tren de Aragua' gang. 

You could also use the bank to buy 'benefits' such as mattresses or get cells with more privacy. Just like in a hotel!

Image: 'Prison Break' / FOX, Getty

Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias 'El Niño Guerrero' ('The Warrior Boy') is the head of the Aragua gang. The syndicate is so extensive that it even reaches other South American countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, and Peru.

Image: mugshot released by Venezuelan authorities

According to the newspaper El Nacional, El Niño Guerrero made an estimated 3 million dollars a year while he was in the Tocoron Penitentiary.

Currently, the young man is on the run, because his prison is no longer his. It's too bad, because perhaps, in another life, he could have made it onto a Forbes rich people's list.

Picture: @MijpVzla / Twitter