The Cocaine Diaries

A Venezuelan Prison Nightmare

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The Cocaine Diaries

By: Jeff Farrell, Paul Keany

Narrated by: Aidan Kelly

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About this listen

‘It won’t happen to me. That’s what I thought when I got on the plane to Venezuela. But it did–I got caught.’

Caught smuggling half a million euros’ worth of cocaine, Paul Keany was sexually assaulted by Venezuelan anti-drugs officers before being sentenced to eight years in the notorious Los Teques prison outside Caracas. There he was plunged into a nightmarish world of coke-fuelled killings, gun battles, stabbings, extortion and forced hunger strikes until finally, just over two years into his sentence, he gained early parole and embarked on a daring escape from South America . . .

Aided by his extensive prison diaries, Keany reveals the true horror of life inside Los Teques: a shocking underworld behind bars where inmates pay protection money to stay alive, prostitutes do the rounds and vast amounts of cocaine are smuggled in for cell-block bosses to sell on to prisoners for huge profits. The Cocaine Diaries is a remarkable story, told by Keany with honesty, courage and even humour, despite knowing that every day behind bars might have been his last.

Social Sciences

True Crime

Crime

Scary

Thought-Provoking

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Fascinating story, very well written and superbly narrated.
Great listen and highly recommended to all