General vision of Vista Hermosa Prison. An elevated water tank with the name of the carro Galaxticos illuminates the jail overnight and reminds all who are in charge. In the left, a mural with the chief of the prison, the inmate Wilmer Brizuela and in the back another mural with Nelson Mandela, a hero for Wilmer. The carro is the armed group of inmates guards who take care of the prison. The chief of all of them is Wilmer Brizuela, Wilmito, the Pran, the unquestioned leader of one of Venezuela’s notorious prisons.

Members of the “carro” run a routine check in the Vista Hermosa (Beautiful View) Prison . The “carro” is the armed group of inmates guards who take care of the prison. The chief of all of them is Wilmer Brizuela, Wilmito, the “Pran”, the unquestioned leader of one of Venezuela’s notorious prisons.

Wilmito, the “Pran” of Vista Hermosa prison and his second in charge, “Boli Queso” (Cheese ball), during a night meeting with some of their inmate-jailers while a surveillance night round, they are always armed with pistols, high-caliber revolvers and automatic rifles controling the National Guard are not trying to enter inside the prison. The National Guard, is the Military Forces created by Hugo Chavez and they have to control the 34 prisons of Venezuela, from inside and outside. But today the government just have the control of 7 of them, the rest are under the prisoners mandate. The prisoners do whatever they want inside the prison but also they organize racketeering in the city from the inside.

Prisoners families waiting to see the immates while the “carro” collect the “causa”. Since the inamte Wilmito, a champion boxer, and his gang took control of Vista Hermosa by force, the inmates are allowed to bring their families to the prison twice per week. The “causa” is the weekly taxes paid to the Pran by inmates to ensure safety. With this funds the Pran buy guns to arm his guard. But with this money he also cover the inmates basic needs, as food or cleaning products, everything that should be done by the Venezuelan Government. But Wilmito goes beyond, and he have been making fancy transformations in the prison as building a pool, a baseball field and a disco.

With his two sons, a prisoner grills meat to sell to other inmates and their visitors. Since Wilmito and his gang took control of Vista Hermosa by force, the inmates have the freedom to run their our businesses in the prison.

Inmates exercising in the prison gym during the night. Since the inmate Wilmito and his gang took the control of Vista Hermosa Prison by force in 2005, the inmates live and die in a world of their own making. There are plazas for dancing and a more formal ballroom for parties. In these areas, visiting women and children walk freely, the iron bars have been removed and the walls are freshly painted. In Venezuelan prisons inmates have control, the country have 34 prions but just 7 are controlled by the government, the rest are under the inmates rules.

Inmates dancing with girls during a weekend visit. In the background, an armed member of the “carro” keeps watch. Since the inmate Wilmito and his gang took control of Vista Hermosa by force, they organize several night parties with alcohol, drugs and prostitutes. This freedom the inmates have to do whatever they want inside the prison could not function without the complicity of corrupt officials who allow heavy weapons inside.

Wilmito´s daughter celebrates her 15th birthday in the prison. In Venezuela when a girl turn 15 years old, is common to prepare a big party to celebrate. Wilmito did the same for her daughter despite being in prison. He prepare a luxury celebration inside the prison with hundreds of guests, top music bands, 18 years old whiskey and the most expensive dress for her daughter. All this is paid with the $3 million a year in profit Vista Hermosa generates from illegal activities and weekly taxes paid to the Pran by the inmates.

Ezekiel, alias Maritza, hopes to be a model one day. Normally when a gay prisoner enter into a Venezuelan prison they are beign humiliated and very often they get killed. Since Wilmito took control of Vista Hermosa, gay inmates have their own task as run the prison laundry and cooking, otherwise they are confined to their quarters separated from the prison common areas.

Inmates sleeping in “La Guerrilla”, the places of the “gandules”, they are the drug users and those who violate the unwritten rules imposed by the “Pran” Wilmito, who control Vista Hermosa prison. They are confined to one area known as La Guerrilla, an isolated quarters kept under armed guard. Any corner of the prison is good to sleep, in hammock or directly in the floor. The prisons in Venezuela have capacity for around 15.500 inmates but nowadays they are more than 52.000 imprisoned. Prison overcrowding is due the dramatic increase of violence acts in the country and the collapse of the judicial system beign as almost all the inmates never been judgment and their procress still in process but meanwhile, guilty or not, they go to prison.

Lots of family visitors during a celebration inside the prison. Since the inmate Wilmito and his gang took control of Vista Hermosa prison by force, the inmates are allowed to bring their families to the prison twice per week. In September 2008 family overnights were instituted as part of the Prison Humanization Plan, thereby sought to reduce conflict in the prisons and restore inmates rights.

Prisoner enjoying the visit of his newborn son during the weekend. Since the inmates take the control of Vista Hermosa prison the rules are more flexible for them and their families can visit them twice a week.

Prisoners smoking crack seeking an escape from their situation. The effects of this drug are much faster and more intense than those of cocaine, and it´s much much cheaper. The crack effects are states of euphoria and disinhibition hugely enjoyable and effective and low self-esteem. Prisoners smoking crack. The crack is an addictive and devasting drug derived from cocaine. The “Gandules” are the drug users and those who violate the unwritten rules imposed by the “Pran” Wilmito, who control Vista Hermosa prison. They are confined to one area known as La Guerrilla, an isolated quarters kept under armed guard.

In Vista Hermosa the inmates have the freedom to practice their religion and they have three diferent chapel inside but no doubt the Evangelical Christianity is the predominant. Their members are called “varones” and they are always in small groups singing and praying. Beign part of those religions allow their members to have immunity inside the prison.

Prisoners make a blood strike on the Vista Hermosa prison roof to demand to the government their transport to the Venezuelan capital city, Caracas. They arrived recently to Vista Hermosa but Wilmito, the prisoners chief, do not welcome them due the overcrowding on his prison. If finally the new inmates stay, they won´t have rights in this prison and their lifes will be in risk. They started the strike 3 weeks before as a food strike but due it was totally ineffective they decided to cut their legs. The prisons in Venezuela have capacity for around 15.500 inmates but nowadays they are more than 52.000 imprisoned in the country. Prison overcrowding is due the dramatic increase of violence acts in the country (More than 25.000 people got killed in Venezuela in 2013) and the collapse of the judicial system. The majority of the inmates in the country have never been judgment, but meanwhile, guilty or not, they are in jail.