The human trafficking advance in silence. It is estimated that more than 6 million people in the world they are victims of this crime, according to estimates by the United Nations and the Walk Free foundation, although experts warn that the real number could be much higher, since the majority of cases are not reported.
Among the thousands of stories behind that statistic is that of Alison Vivasa young woman colombian what was deceived with a fake job offer and it ended exploited in Mexico.
It happened in 2017 when Alison, then 22 yearsleft everything behind to fly from Bogota until Cancun after A friend—who was already there—told her about the possibility of working in a “luxury” restaurant where, as he told him, money was abundant.
Seven years later, told his story on the podcast Your Podswhere he narrated how it was captured, exploited and finally rescued. She did it to heal and to alert other young women about the trafficking networks that are camouflaged behind assumptions dream jobs.
What seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime
At that time, while she was studying Marketing and working as a vacation salesperson, she believed that the trip would be “the opportunity of a lifetime“His plan was to save enough to pay for the next semester of university and return to Colombia.
She followed her friend’s life through the networks and in the occasional video call when they caught up. Clothes, shoes, purses, parties, trips and a job that didn’t seem to require much effort. Fascinated by this lifestyle, Alison wanted to follow in his footsteps. «I never suspected that she had a second intention.«, he stated about their bond.
Everything seemed even more perfect when his so-called bosses assured him that they would send him money for tickets and passportand You didn’t have to worry about food or lodging.since the restaurant would provide food and there was room to stay there.
Alison interpreted this offer as a gesture of generosity for being Milena’s friend, although she had already been warned that the money was a loan that had to be paid back little by little when it arrived.
Alison never thought it was a trap. Photo: Instagram Alison vivasIn resume mode, they asked him for a video with his personal information and a photo in a swimsuitsupposedly to evaluate tattoos and features to select a suitable “elegant profile” for the restaurant. “From there I must have thought wrong, but I didn’t even imagine it.”Alison lamented during the talk with Tatiana Franko.
A few days after traveling, the young woman had received precise instructions about what story to give, who should wait for her and every detail of the procedure at airport controls. Following these instructions, it passed the filters without problems.
Everything was processed behind his mother’s backwho did not see as much because he worked a lot and always warned him about the danger faced by young women who traveled abroad to work.
Stopover in Cancun
When he landed in Cancunmet with her friend Milena; They spent the day together and Milena continued telling her how “wonderful” it was to work there. After the walk, Alison did not see her again nor was she able to communicate with her.
The next day, a man welcomed her and presented her with a contract that put her in debt for 170,000 Mexican pesos (some $8,300), in addition to the retention of your passport until he paid in full. “From that moment on I started to feel that something was not right.”, dice.
Two days later, the same man gave him the uniform he was supposed to wear. «Were white, tight-fitting and very shiny cocktail dresses. Up to the waist everything is decent, but from there down It looked like a loincloth that covered only the front, and at the back there was a small strip”Alison described.
«Tomorrow at 2 in the afternoon I want them groomed, in heels, made up, pretty, impeccable, manicured nails«, were the only indications that Alison and the other girls at the accommodation received about the job.
Alison was 22 years old when she became a victim of a trafficking ring. Photo: CaptureFinally, the indicated time arrived and they took her to the restaurant, where she found other 22 girls dressed just like her, but without knowing what to do. «I was confused for a while, until I saw that the other girls sat with the clients and then left with them. That’s when I understood what the job was about,» said the survivor.
When he began to investigate, one of the girls explained to him: «You make sure that the client pays at the cash register for the time they want with you. A driver takes them to another place, you do the service and they return you.»
A debt that seemed to never end and that was paid at the cost of horror
Alison stayed trapped. Everything that customers consumed reduced their debt, so they had to get to work.
But it was not so easy to pay, in fact it grew every day. «If we got sick, fine. If we got our period, fine. If we got drunk, fine. We never finished paying”.
If the administrator saw her upset, he offered her a tequila or an ecstasy pill. It was the only thing that was not added to the debt, which is why «several colleagues had consumption problems.»
Fear was another tool of control. «They told us that they had support from the police, that everyone in the area worked for them. If I went out for a run, I was going to meet one of them on every corner. Who else was I going to ask for help if everyone knew everyone?» he said in a desperate tone.
His arrival in «hell»
After a month and a half, Alison was transferred to another bar, on the outskirts of Cancun called ««Bandidas». «It was all red and black, it had a huge sign with the silhouette of two naked women, with a large court and many doors. It matched what I imagined of a brothel,» he described.
Some time later, they took her to a bar on the outskirts of Cancun. Photo illustration: ShutterstockIn the previous weeks he had been crying, but he confessed that from now on his feeling was «absolute hopelessness«.
They worked there 14 hours a daywhere they had to do dance shows and serve clients in rooms in the same place. «After each service, we had to shower, get dressed and go out to the bar again«Alison said with tears in her eyes and a broken voice.
And he described with anguish: «I had never danced in public in my life. The mere thought of doing so made me nauseous. But, like with all the other things I had already gone through, I had no alternative.»
Even so, in one night the most he could deduct from the debt was 500 Mexican pesos (about US$24). Practically nothing.
The day of the rescue
Construction workers and people with money of dubious origin came to «Bandidas»: thieves, moneylenders and some armed men, who put their weapons on the table. The girls had to pretend they hadn’t noticed, even though his life was at risk.
He fear and disgust They were constant, but over time it became routine. Until, one night, while Alison was dancing on the stage, All the lights went out and a group of armed men with hoods entered..
One stood in front of her and said, “Get dressed.” She ran to the dressing room and found all her teammates lined up, not knowing who the men were or what was happening.
They asked their names and origins and made them hand over all their belongings. Minutes later, the Mexican authorities They identified themselves and announced that it was a rescue.
A large group arrived for them and, although they did not know where they were going, they finally arrived at the police station. There were some 35 womenlocked in a meeting room where the heat exceeded 40°C, without ventilation or water and with uncomfortable clothing.
When they were called to testify, Alison saw the bar manager, the driver and the account manager pass by in handcuffs. Only at that moment did they understand that finally they were safe.
After the rescue, she was transferred to an immigration station, where she remained. 12 days in a cell awaiting deportation.
Finally, she and the other women colombian They boarded a special plane, with the seats against the walls and armed police in front of them. They were still wearing their bar clothes and feeling the experience that she defines as «cruel and humiliating«.
Upon landing in Bogotanumerous journalists with cameras were waiting for them. Alison tried to cover her face, not for herself, but to protect her family.
The present of Alison Vivas
That day marked the beginning of a long and painful process to process what he had experienced, while returning to a home where the topic remained silent for months.
Eight years later, Alison continues to remember that suffering and the impunity surrounding crimes such as human trafficking. Today she has rebuilt her life, she has a son and is dedicated to her business, Mint and Grapefruit, where she makes fabrics with African prints.
Furthermore, he was encouraged to tell his story publicly to alert others about the dangers of traffickingwhich is still present all over the world and with increasingly sophisticated forms.
