RESUMEN EN INGLES DE LA ISLA GORGONA

Gorgon Penitentiary [Commons-emblem-question book orange.svg

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Construction of the prison began in 1959 and was opened in 1960. For 23 years, the only ones who could enjoy the spectacle of humpback whales were prisoners of the Penitentiary in Gorgona that between 1960 and 1983 inmates housed in different parts of country. Today, visitors can not only enjoy freely the song of the humpback whales but can tour the remains of what was once the most secure prison in the country as having as guard the sea and sentinel to the jungle, it was difficult to escape there.

A former prison Gorgon, also called the Colombian Alcatraz, were sent the most dangerous prisoners in Colombia. Generally convicted of murder and rape. When an inmate entered the prison, he lost their personal identification and in return he was assigned a number to be identified in jail. During their stay, the inmates were in constant abuse by the authorities and by the prisoners themselves. In addition to the above, they had to live daily with venomous snakes and tropical diseases that often the lives of many prisoners were held.

The D'Croz Payan family and the family lived on the island Gorgona until 1960, when President Alberto Lleras Camargo of Colombia (1958-1962) seized the islands, with the pretext that the islands of the nation could not belong to individuals, and he built there one maximum security prison. The main house of the estate of Ramon Payan was used to accommodate the direction of the prison. The Gorgona islandwas a prison from 1960 until 1984, when President Belisario Betancur (1982-1986) the closed; and the islands were declared a National Natural Park, mainly for scientific research. The two-story house built by Ramon Payan was turned into a museum and auditorium. However, since 1985 the entrance to individuals has been restricted. It was not possible to visit the islands without a permit, but at the beginning of this century the government granted a concession to the travel agency Aviatur to direct sightseeing and manage an exclusive private hotel.