Spanish police uncovered a major sex trafficking ring in Barcelona on Monday. During the raid, authorities arrested eight men and one woman suspected of running the organization, and freed three young, impoverished Venezuelan women, who had been lured to Spain.

The ongoing economic crisis in Venezuela has led to an upswing in traffickers preying on the desperate. Several young Venezuelan women had agreed to work off a debt of €3,000 ($3,670) after being promised that their transport to Spain and other living costs would be taken care of.

The traffickers promised them that upon arrival in Spain, they would have to work just "a short amount of time" to repay their bond. After being discharged from their obligation, they would then be free to start their new lives in the southern European country.

The reality, however, was completely different. Upon setting foot in Barcelona, the women described a living hell of exploitation, intimidation and coercion. The women were often overworked, and even forced to cover the cost of their accommodation through their earnings.

Vulnerability leads to cycle of violence

SICAR Cat, a religious organization in Catalonia that provides help to victims of sex trafficking, is keenly aware of this phenomenon. Spokeswoman Rosa Cendon told DW that the number of Venezuelan women falling pray to modern day slavery has been on the rise in the Spanish autonomous region.

"The trafficking rings take advantage of these cases of vulnerability," Cendon explained. Venezuela's economic slump has led to hunger, high inflation, and scarcity, and has created the perfect conditions for human trafficking to flourish, she added. "The dire situation in the country is pushing people to seek a better future."

Read more: For Venezuela HIV patients, lack of medicine 'a death sentence'

Many Venezuelans who fall prey to sex trafficking have already experienced gender-based violence at home. Their vulnerability leads them to seek out some form of escape or a better life abroad. The bitter irony is that these women end up becoming recurrent victims, often stuck in a vicious cycle of abuse.

Venezuela on the brink The last straw In March 2017, violent protests erupted across the country in response to a Supreme Court decision to strip the legislative branch of its powers. Amid an international outcry, President Nicolas Maduro reversed the decision, but it was too late. Thousands continued to take to the streets, calling for new elections. More than 100 people were killed in clashes with security forces.

Venezuela on the brink Hunger, a growing problem The violence added to the ongoing economic and political crisis in Venezuela. Many Venezuelans spend more than 30 hours a week waiting in lines to shop, and are often confronted with empty shelves when they finally enter a store. President Maduro blames the crisis on US price speculation. The opposition, however, accuses the Socialist government of economic mismanagement.

Venezuela on the brink Health care in crisis The crisis has even affected health care in the oil-rich nation. Venezuelans often head to Colombia to collect medical supplies to send home, as seen in this picture. Hospitals across Venezuela have compared conditions to those seen only in war zones. As patient deaths rise, health officials have sounded the alarm on the rise of malaria and dengue fever.

Venezuela on the brink Power grab By July 2017, Venezuela's pro-government Constituent Assembly was established. For observers, it had all the hallmarks of a power grab. The new body adopted the authority to pass legislation on a range of issues, effectively taking away the powers of Venezuela's elected congress, which was under the opposition's control. The move drew wide international condemnation.

Venezuela on the brink The West sanctions In response to the political crisis, the United States and European Union imposed a series of sanctions against ruling officials. The US blacklisted members of the Constituent Assembly and froze all of Maduro's assets that are subject to US jurisdiction. The EU banned arms sales to the country.

Venezuela on the brink Government victorious in regional elections In October 2017, Venezuela held two votes: regional elections and elections for governors, which were long overdue. The opposition boycotted the vote, but then split, as some candidates and small parties chose to participate. This caused a deep rift within Maduro's opponents. The government went on to sweep the vote, which detractors say was unfair and heavily favored the regime.

Venezuela on the brink Debt default In November 2017, the oil-rich, cash-poor nation faced its day of reckoning. Credit ratings agencies declared Venezuela and its state-run oil company in "selective default." But Russia offered to restructure the South American country's debt to ensure Caracas pays its other creditors. US and EU sanctions, however, limited the chance of an agreement.

Venezuela on the brink Presidential elections scheduled The National Assembly announced in January 2018 that it would grant Maduro's call for snap presidential elections. The electoral authority, CNE, held the elections on May 20. The EU, the US and 14 Latin American nations warned that they would not recognize the results. The mainstream MUD opposition alliance boycotted the vote, leaving only one possible outcome.

Venezuela on the brink Maduro wins ... Maduro was re-elected to a second six-year term with about 68 percent of the vote. Turnout was only 46 percent, according to electoral authorities. However, the MUD opposition alliance put turnout at less than 30 percent. The Organization of American States (OAS) called the elections neither free nor fair.

Venezuela on the brink ... Guaido assumes power But weeks into the new year, the situation took a drastic turn. On January 23, 2019, parliament president Juan Guaido declared himself interim president of Venezuela — a move that was quickly recognized by US President Donald Trump. Maduro called it a US-backed "coup." Days later, the US sanctioned Venezuela's state oil firm, while Guaido staked his claim on the country's foreign assets.



Correlation in human trafficking, asylum figures

Any advance in the number of asylum seekers in any given country tends to correlate with a rise in human trafficking victims, Cendon said, adding that a similar pattern has been noticed in Catalonia, particularly among migrants from Venezuela.

According to provisional data from Spanish authorities, Venezuelan nationals top the list of asylum seekers. In 2017, some 10,600 asylum applications were filed by nationals of the South American country. The number far exceeded other countries near the top of the list: Syria (4,300), Ukraine (2,300) and Algeria (1,200).

Read more: Could there be a Venezuelan refugee crisis?

DW contacted the Spanish Ministry of the Interior to confirm if the number of Venezuelan women victims of sexual trafficking is indeed on the rise, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

Cendon added that, to make matters worse, there are many obstacles to applying for refuge in Europe. "The fact that certain countries have blocked the opportunity to seek asylum at their embassies is having the effect of increasing human trafficking," she argued.

The Spanish Law of Asylum, passed in 2009, presents a paradox. Legally, it guarantees asylum seekers the right of passage from their country of origin to Spain in order to formally request asylum, but lawmakers have not yet codified the legal terms and conditions for this to happen. Therefore, while asylum seekers have a legal right to be provided with safe passage, there is no procedure with which to carry this out. In the end, they have to find a way to flee their home countries on their own and this is where they get lured by human trafficking groups.

Read more: Follow the money: What are the EU's migration policy priorities?

Combatting trafficking is 'the state's responsibility'

One of the biggest obstacles to tackling the rise in sexual exploitation and other kinds of human trafficking is the lack of recognition about the extent of the problem.

SICAR Cat charges that while Spain in principle guarantees basic rights to people who have been victims of trafficking, the government has only recognized some 14,000 "potential victims" of sexual trafficking. Out of those, only 50 foreign victims per year are acknowledged and granted basic rights including a permit to reside and work in Spain. The organization calls this number "ridiculous" and insists that this huge gap is a result of government inaction.

Human trafficking is considered to be the "second most lucrative" practice worldwide, according to the rights group Freedom for All, and while the Spanish government has pledged funds to fight it, Cendon says the amount the government provides is nowhere near adequate.

Her organization has demanded that many more resources are needed to protect victims and prosecute those responsible, as well as education and development funds.

Ultimately, the organization decried that this sensitive issue has been left mostly to be dealt with by NGOs. "Human trafficking is a violation of human rights and as such it is the state's responsibility," Cendon declared.