Vryburg

Euro Vegas: Prostitution in Madrid

• Report rights infringement
• published: 25 Sep 2012
• views: 426397

Blighted by economic woes, Spain's government may be about to take a big gamble. It is courting an American tycoon known for his part in developing gambling Mecca, Las Vegas. "It's somewhat ironic because this is a country where gambling was forbidden for so many years so that doesn't seem to matter now. The problem I see is that we always complain about our economic model, that we always rely too much on the tourism industry and construction business, but here we are again with another magic project", says Miguel-Anxo Murado, journalist and writer. The billionaire wants to bring a colossal casino offshoot to Spanish shores, most likely basing it in Madrid's outskirts. Dubbed 'Euro Vegas', it could bring the cash strapped government $22 billion and offer around 300,000 jobs - a much needed relief for an unemployment ridden economy. In Madrid it is a prospect that has been met with protest as people fear a Sin City on their soil could bring more vice to the capital -- something it is already familiar with. Prostitution has existed for some time in Spain with a semi legal status. Even in broad daylight on one of Madrid's main tourist streets one can see it. But it is a problem that in the wake of the financial crisis has increased. "Nowadays there are lots of women who want to get into the world of prostitution because they want to find a way out of the crisis. But the demand has decreased and the prices have dropped", says escort service worker Montse Neyra. Sex workers on Spanish streets are by no means a new site, traditionally it has been something that attracts immigrants unable to find work elsewhere. But now more Spaniards are being reeled in. "Earlier, in the majority we were foreigners: Brazilians, Romanians, people from Eastern countries or Latin America. Now because of the crisis every day there are more Spaniards who offer their 'services'", says Tony Rivas, sex worker. And as with the nation's soaring unemployment, it is often those young and hopeful who appear most vulnerable. "Because of the crisis, a major increase in prostitutes is seen among university students looking to pay for their education", says Alejandra Santos, sex worker and president of Sintrasex Foundation. It is a life lesson that more and more are being forced to take, threatening the prospects of the country's youth. And with projects in the pipeline which could leave an even greater mark, many fear where their government's lust for money may lead them.