Maria Paola Galeano has been behind bars in Argentina for 13 years but that hasn’t stopped her from amassing a huge social media following as her birthday bash went viral
An “influencer prisoner” has ignited a storm of controversy by flaunting her extravagant birthday party from behind prison walls.
Images and clips have hit social media depicting María Paola Galeano and her fellow inmates partying in a pink-themed soiree as the festivities featured a sound system, golden tablecloth, flowers, and a flurry of pink and gold balloons.
She broadcast the spectacle to her 200,000-plus TikTok followers last month, promptly receiving a deluge of birthday greetings. However, some questioned whether she was residing in a “VIP” section of the prison, given the opulence on display. One critic, Luciano, wrote: “More rights for criminals than for honest people. Disgusting.”
Paola has been incarcerated in Lomas de Zamora, Argentina, for 13 years and is due to be released at the end of August. She was apprehended in 2014, accused of being an accomplice in a 2013 robbery-homicide.
The victim, Carlos Alberto Gauna, was murdered during an attempted theft of his pick-up truck in La Matanza Partido. After detectives concluded Paola had targeted the victim, she received a sentence of 13 years and four months.
Following the viral birthday video, prison guards conducted a search of her cell on February 25 and seized her mobile phone. Her device had previously been confiscated the back in August, after she shared her story in an interview.
Back then she disclosed: “I’m given product deals and job offers, mainly for ads and casinos.” This incident has reignited a debate on prisoners possessing mobile phones in the country. They are permitted in certain circumstances, but social media remains completely forbidden.
The Daily Star previously reported a number of female prison guards are being let go from their jobs over secret relationships with lags has reached record levels in the UK. The development comes as the government desperately tries to bring new officers into the industry as a way to reduce prison overcrowding.
As Westminster desperately tries to bring down the number of prisoners bring crammed into cells, signs of strain in the prison industry are showing more than ever. Top bosses within the sector are urging those who are eyeing up an illicit relationship to think again.
The Sun reported that within the year 2024-25, a total of 18 different female prison guards were found out for having secret affairs with lags. These ultimately resulted in their dismissal from the job, bringing the total in the past five years alone to 58.
Well-known cases including Isabelle Dale and Megann Gibson have sent shockwaves across the country after their dodgy dealings with prisoners were exposed. The relationships are incredibly dangerous as not only could the guards risk losing their jobs, they could be sent to prison themselves.
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