Andry Hernández Romero, a gay Venezuelan makeup artist, expresses his love for life despite enduring extreme hardships, including 125 days in El Salvador's brutal CECOT prison. After being removed from the U.S., he insists that being Venezuelan should not be a crime. He reflects warmth and dignity in his journey, celebrating small pleasures while confronting the challenges posed by his identity and immigration status. His experiences highlight the injustices faced by asylum seekers, especially those with intersecting marginalized identities, during a time of heightened scrutiny and violence.
"I want the world to know that being Venezuelan is not a crime," Hernández Romero told The Advocate in an exclusive interview, which was conducted through an interpreter.
The 32-year-old gay Venezuelan makeup artist has survived things that would break most people. But in conversation, he peppers his story with warmth, dignity, and an insistence on seeing the beauty in small pleasures.
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