In the 1920s, oil refineries were opened on the island. Women migrated to the island to service the needs of the oil workers and sailors from the tankers.[3] In the 1930s & 1940s, Venezuelan, Colombian and Dominican prostitutes operated in the town centre.[2] The arrival of the Dutch and American navies to guard the island in the 1940s increased the demand for prostitutes.[3] The government banned prostitution from the town centre, but this was unenforceable.[2]
The governor appointed a commission that included the police, the public health department and the clergy with a view to solving the prostitution problem. They concluded that the best alternative was to concentrate prostitution in one location away from the town centre,[2] The plan was for a complex of appeasements where prostitutes could work independently.[2] On May 30, 1949, the complex named Campo Alegre (also called Le Mirage) was opened.[2][3][6] It had the approval of the Colonial Governor with the support of the Queen of the Netherlands.[7] Initially sex workers were recruited from Cuba and Venezuela.[7]
Woman are issued with a 3-month visa to work in the brothel. Between the late 1940s to the mid-1990s, half of the prostitutes returned for further 3 months' work.[3] Between 1949 and 1996, an estimated 25,000 sex workers have been employed in the establishment.[7]
In March 2020, Campo Alegre closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2020, the company filed for bankruptcy. The 150 sex workers and 84 other employees are out on the street.[4] As of 2023 the property was bought be the government of Curacao. To big surprise of the local population. It is thought it will be sold again in 2 years to people who did not pass the safety check.
Although originally run by the government, the establishment is now privately run to government regulations.[8]
Housed in an ex-army barracks, it has a capacity to house 300 sex workers, although normally there are about 150 women working there.[8] Only foreign prostitutes are allowed to work there,[3] mainly from Colombia and the Dominican Republic.[8] The women work on a three-month visa.[8] Regular health checks are carried out and the women have to carry a health certificate ("pink card").[3] The use of condoms is mandatory.[8]
An admission charge is levied on entry. Clients negotiate a price with the sex workers, who work independently.[8] Within the facility, which is billed as a "Gentleman's Club", is a bar, billiard tables and slot machines. In the evenings, the women put on pole dancing and striptease shows.[8] Tuesday was Ladies' night, however unlike most ladies' nights, the price of admission doubled on Tuesday.[1]
Many of the customers are sailors from the ships anchored in the deep-water harbour.[3]
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