AP PHOTOS: A look at life inside Paraguay's overcrowded prisons

Paraguay a few months ago launched an operation to address some of the many problems plaguing its prison system, including internal gang control, but one problem in particular has proven difficult to deal with: overcrowding.

The South American nation has 18 prisons with a capacity for almost 10,000 inmates, but the current population exceeds 17,600, according to the latest figures provided by authorities which go until the end of 2023.

A country of more than 6 million inhabitants, Paraguay is considered a regional drug trafficking hub.

An Associated Press photographer recently had access to five different prisons — four male facilities and one for women — to see how their inmates live. With the exception of the female detention center, overcrowding was common.

One of the penitentiaries the AP visited was Tacumbú, the largest prison in Paraguay, which authorities raided nine months ago in an effort to regain control from the Rotela clan — a gang that has extended its presence onto...