Prosecutors link opera singer Plácido Domingo to a criminal ring in Argentina
Disgraced opera singer Plácido Domingo has been linked to a criminal group in Buenos Aires. According to prosecutors, the organisation was a front for the sexual trafficking of minors and other illegal activities. Local police conducted 50 raids against BA Group (operating under the name Buenos Aires Yoga School) last week. 19 people were arrested.
Audio recordings obtained via wiretap have since been broadcast on channels all over Latin America. These include the voice of a man authorities believe is Domingo discussing plans with other members of the alleged criminal gang. So far, the exact dates of these recordings have not been made public.
Domingo has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 women since 2019. The accusations have forced the singer to leave New York’s Metropolitan Opera and resign from his role as general director of LA Opera in California.
Back in 2020, Domingo’s name was removed from Washington National Opera’s young artists’ early career program. Domingo served as the artistic director and later the general director of the Washington D.C. organisation from 1996 to 2011.
One of the wiretap recordings from Argentina features a man alleged to be Domingo talking to “Mendy”, a woman with whom he is organising a sexual encounter. The man then describes how he plans to leave an official dinner party early, dodge agents and representatives, and meet her. Another recording features “Mendy” calling alleged ring leader Juan Percowicz to confirm that she has set up the meeting with the man, who she names “Plácido”.
Currently aged 81, Domingo is one of the opera world’s most high-profile stars. Thanks to his participation in The Three Tenors alongside Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras, he’s a household name all over the world. This recent emergence of sexual misconduct allegations is yet to topple his career, however, and he remains a brand ambassador for Rolex.
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