The Bolivian government is to stop travelers from bribing their way inside one of the country’s most notorious prisons.

For years, and for the right price, travelers have been able to enter Cárcel de San Pedro in the capital La Paz for tours and even overnight stays.

Inmates had also cooked meals and sold crafts to visitors, a practice that has also now been stopped.

The unusual ‘tours’ were widely known about outside Bolivia, with details published in a book, Marching Powder, written by former British inmate Thomas McFadden. The book is currently being filmed with Brad Pitt taking the lead role.

However the authorities were finally forced to act when a video filmed inside the prison by tourists was posted on YouTube.

The local TV station then interviewed travelers coming out of the prison after bribing their way in.

Cárcel de San Pedro has been described as “a microcosm of Bolivian society”. Rich inmates – including drug barons and corrupt politicians – pay thousands of dollars for luxurious rooms including satellite television and mobile phone reception.

On the other side, poorer inmates live in squalid conditions, often sleeping in corridors. Many children live in the prison with their jailed fathers.

 “We are now constantly rotating the guards so they do not develop a close relationship with inmates so we can cut off corruption,” Jorge Lopez, head of the prison service, said.

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