33 men arrested at a gay spa in Venezuela: ‘I don’t feel safe anymore’
"Not even brothels face actions like this," says the spa's owner
A gay spa in Venezuela has finally reopened after 33 people were arrested there in July, according to reports.
The incident occurred at Avalon Man Spa and Bar in Valencia in July, according to the Washington Post.
Among those detained were the spa’s receptionist working at the time, as well as its owner, Luis Guillermo, who has said he “doesn’t feel safe” since the arrest.
The men were held for up to three days, but charges against most of them were dropped after protests. However, charges against Luis and two of his colleagues are still pending.
Valencia is located two hours from the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
“Not even brothels in Venezuela “
Luis, 34, told the publication: “I still don’t understand. We had all the paperwork and they still arrested us. Not even brothels in Venezuela face actions like this.”
The receptionist, Jesús Araujo, meanwhile told WP that while in custody, police took the men’s phones – “photos, WhatsApp, calls, contacts, messages. From that moment it began to be a mockery. They called us [an antigay slur] and showed all our pictures and conversations to each other, including the videos, which they watched together.”
The outlet also quoted Tamara Adrián, the country’s first trans woman elected to the National Assembly, as saying: “These men were at a private space. I can’t prove it, but acts like these are carried out with authorisation from the top. It creates a clear pattern of fear among many.”
Adrián furthermore added that President Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian socialist government has shown a “clear pattern” to push back LGBTQ and women’s rights.
“I cannot recall a case as big as this one,” she said.
Gay sex has been legal in Venezuela since 1997. However, LGBTQs still face widespread persecution.