The Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons (OVP) announced last March that Venezuela has 52 prisons with a total installed capacity of 26,238. However, in 2022 only 45 centers with a real installed capacity of 20,438 places were still in operation. This indicates critical risk overcrowding. The Tocorón prison center was one of them.
It was the Venezuelan prison with the most “extravagances”, according to several investigations, details of which are known after it was stormed in the early hours of today on the orders of the national government, for which more than eleven thousand soldiers were deployed Emergency personnel were deployed in the operation, which authorities said was a complete success.
Lots of extravagances
Those deprived of their liberty in this penitentiary not only had access to cell phones, Internet, cable television and air conditioning, but they also enjoyed a swimming pool, a zoo, an equestrian center and even a “luxury” restaurant.
Tocorón was called the “Big House” by the inmates, which was located in the south of the state of Aragua and housed about 5,000 prisoners until May 2023, to this day where excesses abound.
There was a nightclub called Tokyo in the prison complex. Several inmates even shared their moments of relaxation in prison. It was comparable to any nightclub that could exist in Venezuelan cities, here the criminals “roamed” among themed parties, neon lights, smoke, alcohol and drugs.
Furthermore, not only did prisoners have access to mobile phones and the internet, they also enjoyed a swimming pool, a zoo and a center for horse gambling, bingo and lotteries.
Those who “lived” there, as the prisoners used to say, had to pay the so-called “causa,” a bribe they paid to another criminal in order to stay in the institution. The cost was between $8 and $10 per week.
In 2015, there were reports on social networks about the operation of a well-known bank inside the prison, but referring to the place where the “suitcases” were deposited and where inmates could also apply for loans with up to 20% interest, namely They would pay a pran.
“Niño” Guerrero was the leader of the Aragua Platoon that Tocorón led and is the most well-known Venezuelan criminal in the entire country. He was born on December 2, 1983 in Maracay, Aragua, 100 kilometers from Caracas (Venezuela). By the age of 17, Guerrero was involved in micro-trafficking and was charged with assaulting police officers.
