‘Is being gay a crime?’ Venezuelan makeup artist rebuilds life after 125 days in El Salvador prison

When a door was closed in the childhood house of Andry Hernández Romero, it wasn’t just scary. He backfired the noise.

A 32-year-old make-up artist Hernández Romero has passed about a month, and 251 other Venezuelalis were released from a malicious Salvadoran Mega-Priz.

In a Zoom interview from Venezuela in August, Hernández Romero still listed ways of manifesting ordeal trauma.

“When the doors hit – did you notice [my reaction] When did the door make noise now? “Touch while sleeping.

Trump management officials accused Venezuela men with many people, including a member of the transnational gang train, and many people, including Hernández Romero. No crime date In the USA or Venezuela.

Although Consprice had no idea that the movement was a poster child to release the prisoners of Hernández Romero without access to his lawyers or news.

“Makeup artist Andry, Stylist Andry, before the designer Andry,” he said. “I’m somehow recognized, but not directly. If you are writing my name on Google, Tiktok, YouTube – any platform – my whole life emerges.”

Days after being sent to El Salvador on March 15, CBS News, named after the name of a leaked deportation notified notification. Lawyer Lindsay Toczylowski, who founded the Los Angeles -based immigrant advocates Law Center, condemned the release of “Rachel Maddow Show” and “60 minutes”.

In the “60 minutes” section, time photojournalist Philip Holsinger said that he heard that a man in prison cried for his mother, saying, “I am not a gang member. I am a stylist” and the prison guards slapped him and Shave your head.

Anger grew. On social media, users explained that he had disappeared and “Andry Hernández Romero Alive?” He asked.

Activists Signs and posters The federal government demands “Özgür Andry. During the month of pride, a human rights campaign was organized A rally about him Washington on DC NEW QUEEND In New York, he called him Fahri Great Marshal.

Congress Democrats El went to Salvador To get information about the prisoners and returned empty -handed.

Im Let’s be real for a moment, Ritch Ritchie said (D-NEW York) said. 9 April Video In x. Hernández Romero made a attraction that looks behind the makeup brush that burned for three.

“When was the last time you saw a gay makeup artist in a transnational gang?” Torres said.

Hernández Romero walks in a market in his hometown Capacho Nuevo.

Hernández Romero shows the crown tattoos that US officials claim to have tied him to the Aragua gang.

Hernández Romero escaped from Venezuela after encountering persecution for sexuality and political views According to their lawyers.

After making an appointment through the CBP One, which is the asylum application process used in Biden, he entered the US on 29 August 2024 into the US YSİDRO entrance port on August 29, 2024. The authority said the joy of passing took only a few minutes.

Hernández Romero spent six months at Otay Mesa Detention Center. The first step of the asylum process, a “reliable fear” interview, but the immigration authorities were Lase for two of his nine tattoos: “Anne” and “Baba” is a crown in English.

Migrant prisoners are given blue, orange or red uniforms depending on the classification levels. A guard announced that the prisoners who were once wearing orange like him could be guilty. Hernández Romero, “Is it a gay crime? Or is he doing makeup?” He said.

When the deportation flight landed to El Salvador, he saw that all black -dressed tanks and authorities had large weapons.

A Salvador man first landed – after the federal authorities admitted that he had been deported wrong, the case became a point of discussion.

Eight Venezuelas landed, but Salvador officials rejected them and was taken back to the plane. Hernández Romero said the rest of the Venezueli people would be rejected.

Instead, they went to jail.

Hernández Romero is making up for Gabriela Peloponnese, prisoner Carlos Uzcátegui’s fiancée, hours before the civilian weddings in the town of Lobatera.

Hernández Romero said, “I saw myself hitting myself, I saw myself two officials moved to the ground, and took coups and strokes,” he said. “After this reality, he hit me: I was in a cell in El Salvador, in a maximum security prison with nine people, and to myself, ‘What am I doing here?’

As a stylist, his hair shaving is particularly destructive, he said. Worse, they were accompanying coups and homophobic insults.

He remembers the photographer’s shots and feels that his privacy was violated. Now, he understands their importance: “Thanks to the photos we go back to our homes.”

The guards mocked them in prison, and Hernández Romero said, “You will all die here,” he said.

Hernández Romero became friends with Carlos Uzcátegui, a 32 -year -old cell held in the cell opposite the hall. The prisoners were not allowed to talk to people outside their cells, but they quietly recognized each other when couples dispersed.

Uzcátegui said he was detained because he had a crown tattoo and described three stars, one for each of his little sisters.

On March 26, a prisoner was moved by a guard at the Terrorist Restriction Center, a high -security prison in El Salvador, El Salvador (through Alex Brandon, Pool/AFP Getty Images)

While the prisoners are looking at, the US Internal Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during the Terrorist Presentation Center tour on March 26th. (With Alex Brandon, Pool/AFP Getty Images)

Hernández Romero said some guards realized that he would look at him while taking a shower. He told reporters that the guards took him to a small, windowless room known as “La Isla” or “Ada, after realizing that the guards took a bath with a bucket outside the specified hours. He said he had been beaten by three guards wearing masks, compared to NPR and other outlets, and had to have oral sex in one of them.

Hernández Romero no longer does not want to talk about the details of the alleged abuse. Lawyers are looking for legal options available.

“Perhaps these people will escape from worldly justice and justice of man, but no one will escape when it comes to the justice of our father God,” he said. “Life is a restaurant – nobody leaves without paying.”

Uzcátegui said that the guards once took out their toenails and rejected their medicine despite the high fire. He had already taken a shower, but he took a second shower that was not allowed as his fever deteriorated.

He said that the guards pushed him down, kicked it over and again in the stomach, and then left it in “La Isla” for three days.

In July, rumors that the venezueli people could be released in prison began to circulate, but the prisoners did not believe to speak until the priest who gave his daily sermon was not characteristic. He said to them: “The miracle is over. A new day for all of you tomorrow.”

Uzcátegui was not convinced. That night, he could not sleep because of the noise of the people who moved around the prison. He usually said that this means that the guards will enter the cell block in the early hours of the morning.

Hernández noticed that his friend Romero was restless. “We’re going today,” he said.

Orum I don’t believe that, Uz Uzcátegui replied. “Always the same.”

Hernández Romero knew that they were imprisoned for 125 days, because when he went for a detained medical consultation, they would note the calendar in the room without observation and report to the group. The prisoners will then mark the day in metal bed frames using soap.

On July 18, the buses came to prison at 3 am to take Venezüellis to the airport. Authorities Hernández Romero Arturo suárez-trejoThe case is also a singer who draws attention to the public for individual photographs. Hernández Romero said they had to.

The immigrants, who were deported to El Salvador by the US within the scope of the immigration pressure of the Trump administration, are coming to Simon Bolívar International Airport in Venezuela, Venezuela on 18 July.

(Ariana Cubillos / Associated Press)

When the flights touched, an official told them, “Welcome to Venezuela.” As he walked on the aircraft steps, Hernández Romero felt the Caribbean breeze on his face and thanked God.

A few days later, he returned to his hometown Capacho Nuevo and hugged the herd of a journalist and supporter who said his family and brother’s name.

“I left the house with dreams of helping my house and helping my family, but unfortunately it turned into a nightmare suitcase of the suitcase of these dreams” There he told journalists.

Hernández said he wanted to see his name was cleaned. For him, justice means that people who have kidnapped us and blame us unjustly should pay. ”

In March, President Trump called on the 18th century war law to rapidly remove most of the Venezueli people to El Salvador. One 2-1 Decision On September 2, a Panel of Judges from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeal found that the administration was acting illegally, saying that there is no invasion or predatory attack ”.

Trump management officials, a federal judge, if they want to continue their asylum transactions, the Venezueli people will facilitate the return of the United States, he said. dismissed After being sent to El Salvador. If there was another chance to fulfill his dreams, Hernández Romero said, “he didn’t close anything.”

Uzcátegui sees this differently. He said he would probably not come back after everything he lived.

Now he suffers from nightmares. “Despite everything, you feel like we’re not right,” he said. “You wake up thinking you’re still there.”

Carlos Uzcátegui swears with Gabriela Peloponnese during their weddings in August, because Hernández Romero is looking at the right.

While restarting his career, Hernández Romero redefits a customer list as a make -up artist. Last month, he had a private wedding: Uzcátegui. Now his friend’s wife Gabriela made up for Mora.

Uz He experienced what I did there, ”Uzcátegui said. “It was like knowing that we were free to finally – despite everything we talked about, there is friendship that we think will never happen. We are like a family.”