Presidio Modelo

Photo

by Friman

/ Public domain

Presidio Modelo, located on the Isla de Pinos (now Isla de la Juventud) near Nueva Gerona, Cuba, is a former panopticon-style prison complex built in the 1920s. This prison was designed to allow a single guard to observe all inmates without them knowing whether they were being watched, creating a sense of constant surveillance. It gained notoriety for its harsh conditions and for housing political prisoners, including Fidel Castro and other members of the 26th of July Movement after their failed attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953.