Resumen

RAMIREZ C, Daniel. The dynamics of the prisoners’ imaginary in the San Carlos Barracks: Caracas, Venezuela. Revista Venezolana de Economía y Ciencias Sociales [online]. 2008, vol.14, n.1, pp.31-43. ISSN 20030507.

The San Carlos barracks is one of the oldest public spaces in the center of Caracas and has a long history as a prison for military and political prisoners.  The graffiti, the messages and iconographic inscriptions on the walls of the prison offered the opportunity to reconstruct the imaginary of the inmates, the variations in their relationship with the different military units guarding them and the cultural elements that set them apart. Given the situation of conflict normal in such a place, the graffiti prove an exceptional vehicle for expressing social differences and group identities.