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The Cocaine Diaries

A Venezuelan Prison Nightmare

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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.

©2012 Jeff Farrell and Paul Keany (P)2023 Jeff Farrell and Paul Keany Social Sciences True Crime Crime
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It was a very fascinating story about what it is like to be a drug mule and a prisoner in a Venezuelan prison. The narrator was also very good and was good at doing all the many accents that were nessasary for this audiobook- which was quite a few

Amazing story

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Do yourself a huge favour and give this book a listen! Well written and very entertaining

An exciting tale of one man’s nightmare

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Good read but sad to see he died in 2021 from a OD on alcohol and coke, all the things he wrote he would give up.

Good book

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Great book with insight into the terrifying world of prison in Venezuela. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Shocking story

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Really well balanced between the dark moments and the lighter ones. Great story and great narration 👍👍

Great story

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