The Presidio Modelo prison in Cuba, where Fidel Castro was once imprisoned, has fallen into disrepair following riots.
Startling photographs have exposed the interior of the infamous jail where Fidel Castro was incarcerated.
The infamous Presidio Modelo, situated on the Isle of Youth in Cuba, deteriorated following protests over fifty years ago.
Startling images have exposed the interior of the infamous Presidio Modelo.
Fidel Castro was imprisoned for two years in a brutal jail.
The maximum capacity of Presidio Modelo was 5,000 prisoners.
In 1953, Castro and his brother Raul were imprisoned for two years by the Fulgencio Batista regime after attempting and failing to attack the Moncada Barracks.
According to AtlasObscura.com, the prison later became a place for detaining opponents of the new government and gained a reputation for being overcrowded and subjecting prisoners to severe treatment.
The design of Presidio Modelo takes significant inspiration from the Stateville Correctional Center located in Crest Hill, Illinois.
The Cuban hell jail can accommodate a maximum of 5,000 inmates and consists of five buildings designed in a panopticon style.
The cells are arranged in a circular layout, with six floors in each and enclosed by a guarded watchtower that provides visibility to all cells.
The inmates’ behavior is defined by the design that prevents them from knowing if they are being watched or not.
Presidio Modelo also included a medical facility consisting of two separate buildings.
Panopticon prisons were constructed and have since been abandoned in Cuba, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, Australia, and the United States.
The abandoned horror facility has been left to decay since its closure over 50 years ago.
However, its disturbing past remains prevalent as the area has been transformed into a museum accessible to the general public.
Long pathways from the entrance of the prison complex lead to abandoned colonial buildings, with the prison structures situated beyond them.
A warm gust of wind muffles the sounds around, but the distinct squeaking of metal roof panels detaching from the building high above can still be heard.
Tiny plants emerge from crevices in the deteriorating concrete and along the edges of some sunlit ledges.
Thousands of opposing skinhead gang members are confined in a crowded prison in neighboring El Salvador.
Six months ago, the Tecoluca-based Centre for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) was established with the goal of addressing gang violence in the world’s most dangerous city for homicides.
The massive penitentiary holds 12,000 enemies who belong to two notorious gangs, MS-13 and Calle 18. These gangs originated in the streets of Los Angeles in the 1980s.
Within every 100 square-meter unit, approximately 75 overcrowded prisoners rest in metal bunks and are compelled to use only two toilets and two sinks.
The inmates are also requesting that the authorities provide nourishment and medication for those who are terminally ill and dying in their vicinity.
The prison pavilions are designed with a curved roof to ensure prisoners have natural ventilation. Additionally, there are skylight areas that allow sunlight to filter into a patio that divides the cells.
The Cuban prison, known as the “hell prison”, became dilapidated following riots that took place over fifty years ago.
The Presidio Modelo is currently accessible to the public as a museum.
The inmates are unaware of whether they are being monitored or not due to the design.
The hospital at Presidio Modelo consisted of two pavilions.