In Venezuela, the most perplexing aspect of the penitentiary system is not the rise in violence within prison walls, but rather the internal hierarchical systems that prisoners have created for themselves. Why, if prison gangs are armed to the teeth and capable of overrunning the guards, are they still there? Why, if these men have the firepower to wage battles against each other, do they not just break out of prisons?

The answer lies in a bizarre hierarchical system with a large grey area.

– For the rest of this blog, pleas see my post on FPA: http://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2012/10/15/venezuelan-prisons-and-the-power-of-pranes/