La Modelo, Prison facility in Puente Aranda, Bogotá, Colombia
La Modelo is a correctional facility in Bogotá featuring four watchtowers and six cell blocks, currently operating with a capacity designed for 2,907 inmates under INPEC administration.
The prison opened officially on January 1, 1960, originally named Cárcel de Distrito Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, built on the former grounds of Hacienda El Triunfo to replace inadequate detention centers.
The facility has housed notable figures including Alfonso Cano of FARC-EP, former president Gustavo Petro, and cartel member John Jairo Velásquez, reflecting Colombia's complex political and criminal history.
Located on Carrera 56 with postal code 111611, the prison operates continuously under INPEC management, though overcrowding consistently exceeds its official capacity by significant margins.
In March 2020, a violent riot during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in 23 inmate deaths and 92 injuries, highlighting persistent security and health challenges within the institution.
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