Can you still visit La Paz prison?

Large-scale tours of the prison are no longer possible. Today backpackers typically opt for La Paz walking tours, which stop outside the prison walls and tell Marching Powder’s story.

How old is Thomas McFadden?

Thomas, 43, is now clean of drugs and now works on a chicken farm in Tanzania. He has two children, son Rusty and daughter Colbert.

Is there a prison run by inmates?

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America. Its government and police are notoriously corrupt. In most national prisons, inmates receive little more than a bowl of watery soup a day. So San Pedro inmates run the prison themselves, functioning as an independent community.

What is marching dust?

A regional term for cocaine.

Why is it called Bolivian marching powder?

Marching Powder may refer to: Bolivian marching powder or Peruvian marching powder, euphemisms for cocaine. Marching Powder (book), a 2003 non-fiction book by Rusty Young based on the experiences of Thomas McFadden, a convicted drug-trafficker, in a Bolivian prison, and also a proposed film of the book.

Do they have Coca Cola in prison?

Outside of jail, most prisons do sell sodas from my experience. All the federal prisons that I know of sell them on commissary. Typically they sell them in 12 pack cans, but this can vary from prison-to-prison and the higher security level you go the less likely as empty bottles and cans can become security issues.

What is Peruvian powder?

Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder was a magical item imported by Fred and George Weasley and sold by Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. This darkness powder creates darkness when used, allowing the user to escape.

What is Bolivian marching powder?

Bolivian marching powder (uncountable) (slang) Cocaine.

Where is the La Paz prison?

Centrally located in downtown La Paz, the prison became a tourist attraction that featured in Lonely Planet guidebooks. Travellers paid an entrance fee and, in some cases, opted to stay for weeks, partying with the inmates.

What is the name of the prison in Bolivia?

San Pedro prison. San Pedro prison or El penal de San Pedro (Saint Peter’s Prison) is the largest prison in La Paz, Bolivia renowned for being a society within itself.

Are there backpackers in San Pedro prison in Bolivia?

Backpackers in San Pedro Prison are certainly a less common sight than 10 or 20 years ago but like many things in Bolivia, if you’ve got money and the contacts, you can make things happen.

Is it possible to visit the San Pedro prison?

Although tourism in the prison of San Pedro is illegal, many entrants can gain access to a tour by bribing the guards who are placed to make sure that none of the prisoners who are in the prison come out.