The Campo Alegre brothel (Curaçao) foreclosure auction
WILLEMSTAD - Commissioned by the Public Prosecution Service of Curaçao, auction house BVA Auctions is auctioning the open-air Campo Alegre brothel in Curaçao. On June 21, 2022, at 10:00 AM – local time – the resort will be auctioned live at the Renaissance Curaçao Resort in Willemstad. The new owner of Campo Alegre will have a unique multi-functional resort with possibilities for redevelopment into a large-scale leisure complex on a piece of property of more than 72,000m2.
The largest brothel in the western hemisphere was still in use until 2020. The complex contains several buildings, including approx. 156 hotel rooms, shops, a restaurant, several bars, a gym, a swimming pool, and offices. There is also space for approximately 45 parking spaces within the resort and approximately 600 parking spaces on the property. The brothel went bankrupt in 2020, but the corona pandemic also threw a spanner in the works. Campo Alegre has not been in use since then.
On April 19, 2022, the Minister of Justice, Mr. S.X.T Hato stated that if the future buyer intends to operate a prostitution business at this location once again, this intention will, in principle, not meet with any objections from the Minister. In this way, a future operator can start a prostitution business again.
'Proceeds from the auction to the Crime Prevention Fund'
The reason for the auction is a confiscation order by the court. Millions must have come from the underworld and would have been invested in the legal upper world. The auction must raise enough to pay a judicially imposed fine – approx. 14.9 million Antillean guilders – to be paid to the judiciary. So the Public Prosecution Service will auction the site. The proceeds of the auction will go to the Crime Prevention Fund.
State Brothel
Campo Alegre ('Happy Camp'), popularly known as 'Blaatjie Bèrde,' has long been a household name in the Caribbean. It was founded in 1949 as a state brothel for immigrants from the Shell Oil Refinery, sailors, and military personnel stationed in Curaçao. The resort, located outside of Willemstad, offered a solution to the growing demand for prostitutes in the 1930s and 1940s and prevented nuisance in the center.
About the auction
Resort Campo Alegre is being auctioned in the presence of Mrs. M.R. Steenbaar from Simon & Steenbaar Notaries. The live hall auction will take place on June 21 at 10:00 AM at the Renaissance Curaçao Resort (Baden Powellweg, Willemstad, Curaçao). However, not just anyone can bid. For example, an interested party must have registered at least 8 days before the auction, and an (irrevocable) bank guarantee must be issued at the notary. More information about the auction and the process can be found at BVA Auctions, https://www.bva-auctions.com/campo
International interest
Richard Dieteren of auction house BVA Auctions is confident that the auction will end well. "There has been speculation for some time about whether or not the resort will reopen and the possibilities Campo Alegre can offer. The fact that the minister is sticking to a tolerance policy only increases interest. Several candidates have already applied, not only from Curaçao."
It is possible to visit the site before the auction takes place on June 21. This is only possible on set days and after registration with the auction house.
