Venezuelan police arrest 33 men at gay sauna
Police in Venezuela’s Carabobo state on Sunday raided a gay sauna and arrested 33 people. A Venezuelan activist told the Washington Blade the arrests in Valencia, which is the country’s third largest city, took place “without a search warrant, without due process” and violated “the fundamental rights of 33 Venezuelan adults who were in full use of their mental and physical faculties.” “[They were subjected to] degrading treatment,” said the activist. “[The police] deprived them of their liberty and subjected them to public ridicule.” One local media report indicates an “orgy” was taking place during a “sex party” at the sauna when the raid took place.
The report indicates one of the participants who police arrested lives with HIV. It also said party organizers planned to sell videos of the men having sex they recorded.
The activist with whom the Blade spoke said a judge on Wednesday released 30 of the 33 men who were arrested and ordered them to report to authorities every 30 days until they go to trial.
The activist noted the sauna’s owner and two masseurs will remain in custody until they are able to pay bail. Discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity and HIV is commonplace in Venezuela, a South American country that remains in the midst of an ongoing political and economic crisis.
