‘I’d rather die in my homeland’

UPDATE:

A VENEZUELAN woman who was threatened with rape and murder by a businessman says she is making arrangements to leave this country as soon as possible adding she would rather die in her home country than here. The man making the threats also claimed he has many police friends.

The woman posted several screen shots of a conversation between herself and the man in which he threatens to rape and slit her throat. She warned other Venezuelans to be wary of the man.

The photos have gone viral on social media and the businessman, who runs a car rental company in South Trinidad, layer told Newsday his Facebook account had been hacked. However, the screen shots being shared are from both Whatsapp and Facebook messages.

His business page on Facebook was deactivated yesterday as dozens of users flooded the page with comments about the conversation. It begins with the woman asking for a car to rent for two days. Someone responds and asks her for a photo of herself, telling her she is “sexy.”

She responds, “Hi Mr (name called) can we chat about the car plz I need to know what document I need to get?” The man replies, “Listen my friend, you can get any car you want from me as long as you let me take you out for a drink.”

The woman declines, saying she has a fiancé. Then the conversation takes a violent turn as the man demands sex in return for the car. In one of the messages, he writes: “Listen you Venezuelan s**t you will come down and meet me if you want the car and you don’t want problems and if you tell anybody about this, I will f*****g find you and kill you you hear, I have your number and I know where you living.”

The man also threatens to have the woman deported, to slit her throat, rape her and laugh while she is dying. In a phone interview yesterday the businessman said he was printing comments and posts to his business page on Facebook left by other users telling him he is a rapist. He intends to file a report.

He insisted his Facebook account was hacked and believes it was done by an angry customer who refused to pay him for a car on Monday. Asked about the Whatsapp messages, the man said no one else had his phone and he does not know where those messages came from. Pressed for further comment, he hung up. This reporter reached out to the woman, who responded at 5 pm yesterday. She said she had not made a police report about the threats because she is too scared. “I just want to go home to Venezuela. I prefer to be dead in my own country than to die here.” Her last message was that her friend was making arrangements for her to leave on a ferry.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Screenshots which appear to be of a conversation between a businessman and a Venezuelan woman – in which the man threatens to rape and kill the woman – have gone viral on social media.

The businessman, who runs a car rental company, told Newsday his Facebook account had been hacked.

However, the screenshots being shared are from both Whatsapp and Facebook messages.

It begins with the woman asking for a car to rent for two days.

Someone responds and asks her for a photo of herself, telling her she is ‘sexy.’

She responds, “Hi Mr ––– can we chat about the car plz I need to know what document I need to get?”

The man replies, “Listen my friend, you can get any car you want from me as long as you let me take you out for a drink.”

The woman declines, saying she has a fiancé.

Then the conversation takes a violent turn, as the man demands sex in return for the car.

In one of the messages, he writes: “Listen you Venezuelan ––– you will come down and meet me if you want the car and you don’t want problems and if you tell anybody about this, I will ––––– find you and kill you you hear, I have your number and I know where you living.”

The man also threatens to have the woman deported, to slit her throat, rape her and laugh while she is dying.

Another message says: “I have plenty police friends so don’t even think about going to them.”

In a phone interview a short while ago, the businessman said he is printing comments and posts to his business page on Facebook left by other users telling him he is a rapist. He said people can’t be allowed to speak to him in that manner and he intends to file a report. He insists his Facebook account was hacked and he believes it was done by an angry customer who refused to pay him for a car on Monday.

Asked about the Whatsapp messages, he said no one else had his phone and he does not know where those messages came from.

Pressed further, he hung up.

When this reporter called him again, he said he was busy and would return the call later.

Newsday is trying to reach the woman for a comment.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.