Human trafficking in South America

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Human Trafficking or "trafficking in persons" is the recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for mainly the purposes of forced labor or prostitution. Other reasons for human trafficking are the removal of organs, forced marriage, and other exploitations. [1] South America is one of the biggest source and destination locations in the world and has struggled with the issue for many years. The ILO estimates that of the 20.9 million victims of human trafficking in 2012, 1.8 million were from Latin America. There are many factors that cause human trafficking, like a high demand for domestic servants, sex laborers, and factory workers, the existence of already established trafficking networks that often take advantage of young women and children, corruption in the governments and local law enforcement agencies, a governmental disinterest in the issue and a lack of opportunity for women in South American regions where trafficking occurs. People exploited in human trafficking are often impoverished, members of indigenous peoples, unemployed, victims of abuse, illiterate, substance users, homeless, or involved in gang activity. Research by the United States Department of State has also found that LGBTQ+ people are vulnerable to human trafficking. [2] By far, sex trafficking is the leading type of human trafficking, making up 79 percent of all human trafficking. This is then followed by forced labor at 18 percent. About 20 percent of trafficking victims are children. [3] Primary destinations for trafficking and illegal immigration are the United States, Spain, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Canada. [2] Globalization, capitalism and societal attitudes facilitate and reduce the barriers to human trafficking. [4]

Contents

History of human trafficking in the region

The commercial use of humans within Latin and South America has been acknowledged since 1928 by the League of Nations. The commercial use of humans is mostly consisted of women and children. In 2000, human trafficking gain a lot of attention due to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act passed by the United States. While the act is a US policy, the act also consist of an anti-trafficking efforts that by the US to stop human trafficking in its southern neighbors. [5] Currently, Latin America is the third largest source of trafficked humans. There is various theories as to why Central America, in particular, has seen increase cases of human trafficking. One theory is that due to the upheaval and political turmoil that occurred after the Spanish withdrew, crimes such as forced servitude and sexual exploitation increased without being checked. [6] There it is the normalization of human exploitation that was left behind from colonialism. The acceptance of human exploitation stems from marginalization practices such as racism. [7] The cultivation of conditions that allowed for human trafficking in Latin America can be dated back to the arrival of the first conquistadors in the 16th century.

Since the 15th century there's been a continuous pattern of exploitation and extraction of the land and people inhabiting that region. First with the Spanish, then the dictatorships that replaced, and recently along with the dictators is neoliberalism. With neoliberalism, there are outside companies paying workers close to nothing wages while over working them. Due to past civil wars, lack of government regulation, and instances of past violations against human rights, Latin and South Americans have become exceedingly distrusting of their current governments. This situation makes it ideal for human traffickers to traffic people. [4]

Types of human trafficking

Sex trafficking

Sex trafficking is the practice of kidnapping people, typically young women and children, to be forced into the practice of sexual slavery and prostitution. Sex trafficking is the most common form of human trafficking. According to a report by the UNODC, 79 percent of trafficking is for sex trafficking. [3] Typically, people with histories of sexual assault or sexual violence and people who live in poverty are targeted and kidnapped. [8] According to State Department officials, it is estimated that tens of thousands of Latin American women are trafficked each year, typically internationally. A large number of these victims come from Colombia or the Dominican Republic. According to a report made by the United Nations in 2016, multiple gangs, crime families, and drug trafficking organizations deal in human trafficking which may involve some 48,500 victims. These women and usually children are trafficked into prostitution, but can also be forced to work in pornography or stripping. Argentina and Brazil are very common destination countries for women from the Andes and some places in the Caribbean, like the Dominican Republic and Panama is a destination country for women from Colombia and Central America who are forced to work in the sex trade. Trafficking is a common occurrence along borders in Central and South America. The Mexican-Guatemalan border is especially popular due to undocumented migrants en route to the United States are often pushed into prostitution. [2]

Forced labor

Forced labor is the practice of intimidating a person into performing types of labor, through intimidation or violence. [9] The ILO reported that in 2012, about 1.8 million people in Latin America were laborers in forced labor. These numbers included victims of human trafficking. These numbers are estimated to be roughly 3.1 percent of the regions population, though it does not count the victims of human trafficking who are sent out internationally. [2] Typically, men are approached by people looking for workers in urban areas where poverty and unemployment are common. [10] From the 2014 UNODC report males make up anywhere from 67 to 70 percent of the trafficked victims for forced labor. [11] These people promise good pay for work and often transport the workers to ranches and mines in remote areas. This is a common practice or occurrence in place like Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay where people are often forced to work on cattle ranches, lumber mills, cole mines and plantations where soy beans, cotton and corn are produced. Upon reaching their destination, the workers are told they are now in debt, and held in debt bondage. They are told that transportation costs will be taken out of their salaries. Other times, the workers aren't brought to the work site, but to a drop off point, where they sometimes wait for days or weeks for employers to come pick them up. Food, lodging and transportation are taken out of their salary, and they are held until their debt is paid. [10] The indigenous people of Latin America are also highly susceptible to being taken into forced labor. Typically, they live in poverty and with discrimination and a low literacy rate working against them, they have no real way to protest against the laborers effectively. [10] It is estimated that annually, about 1.5 million seasonal farm workers who are mostly from Latin America and the Caribbean Islands harvest produce in the United States. There have been an increasing amount of abuses due to forced labor because of the low wages, harsh working conditions, lack of legal protection and an increasing demand for cheap labor. [2]

Trafficking of children

Typically, children are trafficked in countries that have large tourist attractions and centers on sex tourism. Street and orphaned children are the most vulnerable to be taken advantage of by traffickers, though there have been cases where the trafficked children still live with their family, and participate in commercial sexual activities to provide for the family. Some other factors that make a child vulnerable to becoming a victim of trafficking are poverty, infrequent attendance of school, involvement in criminal activity, drug or alcohol addiction, or physical or sexual abuse. Children are typically trafficked for the uses of illegal adoptions, child soldiers, sex slavey, or to work for an organized crime group. State Department officials estimate that roughly 1 million children work as domestic servants in Latin America and that 70 to 80 percent of unaccompanied children travel with smugglers. [2] The UNODC noted that children made up 30 percent of the trafficked victims in the Americas. [12]

Structural factors that contribute to human trafficking

People are often trafficked by criminal organizations such as criminal gangs or mafia groups. Typically, organized crime groups take part in the sex trade and trafficking practice. In Guatemala, organized crime groups kidnap and transport women from other countries, often other Latin American countries, to participate in prostitution and sexual slavery. According to the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, organized crime groups from Russia, Japan, Mexico, Central America, Ukraine and multiple other countries have been caught attempting to traffic people across the U.S.-Mexico border. The State Department states that there is evidence of children being forced to commit crimes in Ecuador, Chile, and Brazil. [2]

Supply and demand of capitalism

Human trafficking is unique in that the supply and demand are the same thing. The high demand for human bodies incentivizes the exploitation and dehumanization of human beings. [13] In a SAGA publication there is an approximation of 32 billion dollars the human trafficking industry generates annually. [14] Supply and demand of human trafficking is normalized in capitalist societies where consumers feel it is their right to receive the services they paid for. Giving a monetary value to humans, makes those selling them see them as object and their property. [4]

Due to the supply and demand of humans, the final destination for trafficked humans correlates with tourism. Tourism and sexual exploitation are positively correlated in modern day cities in Latin America. [7]

Stigma and societal attitudes

Additional factors that perpetuates human trafficking, forced labor, and forced prostitution are stigmas and attitudes a society has in regard to individuals in the human trafficking industry. Research done by Jo Bindman, claims in general sex workers face significantly higher discrimination by law enforcements, governmental authority and society. This presents an issue concerning human trafficking as those who are unwilling forced into sex work are at a disadvantage of receiving help due to the conversation around sex work. [4]

Systemic inequality

Due to inequality and disparities that result from globalization and the lack of regulation, there are certain groups who are more vulnerable than others of becoming victims of human trafficking. These groups include and is not limited to individual who are impoverished, lack job opportunities, queer, and/or engage in harmful cultural traditions. [13] Those who are living in poverty and lack the opportunity to at acquire a safe, honorable job are easily susceptible to the deceiving, manipulative tactics of human traffickers. In their desperation, people find themselves in the human trafficking system. [15]

Illegal immigration

Some people go to traffickers looking to be brought into a new country, typically illegally. The most common countries people are brought to are The United States, Britain, Italy, Canada, Spain and the Netherlands. These countries have come to rely on migrant workers doing jobs in agriculture, construction, manufacturing and domestic service for low paying wages. Because of a concern about job competition, security and many other issues related to taking in large amounts of foreign-born populations, this has caused many of these countries to strengthen and tighten their border security. Though this has only caused a rise in illegal immigration. Many people from Guatemala and Belize travel through Mexico to get to the United States border. Because of the increasing security along the borders, smugglers will take more dangerous routes, which makes the smuggling more costly. To pay for this, smugglers will force the migrants into forced labor or prostitution. [2] According to Zdrojewski, many of the trafficked women and children in Central America originate from Nicaragua, Dominica Republic and Guatemala. Most immigration is from the south to the north, to the United States. [7]

Efforts to combat human trafficking

Human Trafficking is underreported making for there to be a substantial amount of data missing concerning human trafficking. The two reasoning behind this is one the inadequate legislation surrounding and lacking of testimonies from victims and witness. [16] Most of the underrepresented types of human trafficking fall in categories of forced labor, domestic servitude, forced marriage, organ harvesting and children trafficking. [3] In 2000, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, also known as the Trafficking Protocol, supplements the United Nations convention against transnational organized crime. Its intended person is to prevent and fight against human trafficking by facilitating international corporation. [17] Since the creation of the protocol more countries are implementing laws in effort to prevent further human trafficking. [3] Human Trafficking in Latin America did not become a central issue until the late twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century, after the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Trafficking Protocol from the United Nations. The TVPA has provided funding to support local efforts against trafficking. [7]

Socially, there is an increase awareness about the issue and how to best support the victims. There are programs training individuals to recognize and care for human trafficked victims. [7] However, many Latin American countries find it make progress against trafficking because they lack the resources and political power to enforce existing programs. Much of their resources and time goes into other issues such as drug trafficking and gang violence. Many countries even lack shelters for trafficked victims and follow up plans after the victim is freed. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trafficking of children</span> Form of human trafficking

Trafficking of children is a form of human trafficking and is defined by the United Nations as the "recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, and/or receipt" kidnapping of a child for the purpose of slavery, forced labour, and exploitation. This definition is substantially wider than the same document's definition of "trafficking in persons". Children may also be trafficked for adoption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking</span> Trade of sexual slaves

Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Sex traffickers use force, fraud, and coercion as they recruit, transport, and provide their victims as prostitutes. Sometimes victims are brought into a situation of dependency on their trafficker(s), financially or emotionally. Every aspect of sex trafficking is considered a crime, from acquisition to transportation and exploitation of victims. This includes any sexual exploitation of adults or minors, including child sex tourism (CST) and domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST).

Forced prostitution, also known as involuntary prostitution or compulsory prostitution, is prostitution or sexual slavery that takes place as a result of coercion by a third party. The terms "forced prostitution" or "enforced prostitution" appear in international and humanitarian conventions, such as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, but have been inconsistently applied. "Forced prostitution" refers to conditions of control over a person who is coerced by another to engage in sexual activity.

Uganda is a source and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Ugandan children are trafficked within the country, as well as to Canada, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia for forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. Karamojong women and children are sold in cattle markets or by intermediaries and forced into situations of domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, herding, and begging. Security companies in Kampala recruit Ugandans to serve as security guards in Iraq where, at times, their travel documents and pay have reportedly been withheld as a means to prevent their departure. These cases may constitute trafficking.

Vietnam is primarily a source country for women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Women and children are trafficked to the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C), Cambodia, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Macau for sexual exploitation. Vietnamese women are trafficked to the P.R.C., Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea via fraudulent or misrepresented marriages for commercial exploitation or forced labor. Vietnam is also a source country for men and women who migrate willingly and legally for work in the construction, fishing, or manufacturing sectors in Malaysia, Taiwan, P.R.C., Thailand, and the Middle East but subsequently face conditions of forced labor or debt bondage. Vietnam is a destination country for Cambodian children trafficked to urban centers for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. Vietnam has an internal trafficking problem with women and children from rural areas trafficked to urban centers for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Vietnam is increasingly a destination for child sex tourism, with perpetrators from Japan, the Republic of Korea, the P.R.C., Taiwan, the UK, Australia, Europe, and the U.S. In 2007, an Australian non-governmental organization (NGO) uncovered 80 cases of commercial sexual exploitation of children by foreign tourists in the Sa Pa tourist area of Vietnam alone.

Zambia is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Child prostitution exists in Zambia's urban centers, often encouraged or facilitated by relatives or acquaintances of the victim. Many Zambian child laborers, particularly those in the agriculture, domestic service, and fishing sectors, are also victims of human trafficking. Zambian women, lured by false employment or marriage offers, are trafficked to South Africa via Zimbabwe for sexual exploitation, and to Europe via Malawi. Zambia is a transit point for regional trafficking of women and children, particularly from Angola to Namibia for agricultural labor and from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to South Africa. Malawian and Mozambican adults and children are occasionally trafficked to Zambia for forced agricultural labor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking</span> Trade of humans for exploitation

Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation.

Austria is a destination and transit country for women, men, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution and forced labor.

Oman is a destination and transit country for men and women, primarily from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Indonesia, some of whom are subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically conditions indicative of forced labor. Most of these South and Southeast Asian migrants travel willingly to Oman with the expectation of employment in domestic service or as low-skilled workers in the country's construction, agriculture, or service sectors. Some of them subsequently face conditions indicative of forced labor, such as the withholding of passports and other restrictions on movement, non-payment of wages, long working hours without food or rest, threats, and physical or sexual abuse. Labor recruitment agencies and their sub-agents in migrants' original communities in South Asia, as well as labor brokers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, and Iran, may deceive workers into accepting work that in some instances constitutes forced labor. Many of these agencies provide false contracts for employment either with fictitious employers or at fictitious wages, charge workers high recruitment fees at high rates of interest, and urge workers to enter Oman on tourist visas. Oman is also a destination and transit country for women from China, India, Morocco, Eastern Europe, and South Asia who may be forced into commercial sexual exploitation, generally by nationals of their own countries. Male Pakistani laborers, and others from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and East Asia, transit Oman en route to the UAE; some of these migrant workers are exploited in situations of forced labor upon reaching their destination.

Human trafficking in Nepal is a growing criminal industry affecting multiple other countries beyond Nepal, primarily across Asia and the Middle East. Nepal is mainly a source country for men, women and children subjected to the forced labor and sex trafficking. U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons placed the country in "Tier 2" in 2017.

Greece is a transit, source and destination country for women and children who are subjected to human trafficking, specifically forced prostitution and conditions of forced labor for men, women, and children. Female sex trafficking victims originate primarily in Eastern Europe and former Soviet bloc countries. Traffickers use physical, emotional, and sexual abuse for coercion. Greece's European Union membership, coupled with a shared border with Turkey, means the country sees massive flows of illegal immigrants looking to enter the EU. Traffickers also use Greece not only as a destination but also as transit stop and also as a source country where even Greek women are prostituted on the way to Western Europe.

Human trafficking is the trade of humans, most commonly for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. Mexico is a large source, transit, and destination country for victims of human trafficking.

Human trafficking in Brazil is an ongoing problem. Brazil is a source country for men, women, girls, and boys subjected to human trafficking, specifically forced prostitution within the country and abroad, as well as a source country for men and boys in forced labor within the country. The United States Department of Homeland Security, describes human trafficking as "the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Costa Rica</span> Trade of people in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a source, transit, and destination country for goods and products, a great location for trade in the seas. Costa Rica is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea making it a source of imports and exports. Costa Rica is approximately 19,653 square miles of land, making it smaller than West Virginia. To a lesser but increasing extent, Costa Rica is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to conditions of forced labor, particularly in the agriculture, construction, fishing, and domestic service sectors. The economy greatly depends on the exportation of bananas and coffee, making high demands of agriculture work. Costa Rican women and children are forced into commercial sexual exploitation due to high rates of poverty and violence. Women and girls from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Colombia, and Panama have been identified in as victims of forced prostitution. Child sex tourism is a serious problem, particularly in the provinces of Guanacaste, Limón, Puntarenas, and San José. Child sex tourists arrive mostly from the United States and Europe. Young men from Nicaragua, Vietnam, China and other Asian countries are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Costa Rica. Adults have been identified using trafficked women and children to transport and sell drugs. Neighboring countries and cities are victims as well to forced labor many times trafficked to Costa Rica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in the Middle East</span>

The trafficking of persons is the fastest growing and most profitable criminal activity after drug and arms trafficking. According to the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, human trafficking is defined as follows: “Trafficking in persons shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Texas</span>

Human trafficking in Texas is the illegal trade of human beings as it occurs in the state of Texas. It is a modern-day form of slavery and usually involves commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor, both domestic and agricultural.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Southeast Asia</span> Human trafficking

Human trafficking in Southeast Asia has long been a problem for the area and is still prevalent today. It has been observed that as economies continue to grow, the demand for labor is at an all-time high in the industrial sector and the sex tourism sector. A mix of impoverished individuals and the desire for more wealth creates an environment for human traffickers to benefit in the Southeast Asia region. Many nations within the region have taken preventive measures to end human trafficking within their borders and punish traffickers operating there.

Sex trafficking in Japan is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the country. Japan is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sexually trafficked persons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in South Korea</span> Overview of sex trafficking in South Korea

Sex trafficking in South Korea is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Republic of Korea. South Korea is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sexually trafficked persons. Sex trafficking victims in the country are from South Korea and foreigners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in El Salvador</span>

Sex trafficking in El Salvador is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Republic of El Salvador. It is a country of origin, transit, and destination for sexually trafficked persons.

References

  1. ↑ The SAGE handbook of human trafficking and modern day slavery. Clark, Jennifer Bryson,, Poucki, Sasha. London. 2019. ISBN   978-1-5264-3614-6. OCLC   1022627740.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Seelke, Claire Ribando. Fas.org. Congressional Research Service, 13 October 2016. Web. 4 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. UNODC report on human trafficking exposes modern form of slavery. http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/global-report-on-trafficking-in-persons.html
  4. 1 2 3 4 Golob, Timothy Adam (2014). Human Trafficking from Southern Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala: Why These Victims are Trafficked into Modern Day Florida (MA thesis). University of South Florida. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  5. ↑ Guinn, David E. (2008). "Defining the Problem of Trafficking: The Interplay of US Law, Donor, and NGO Engagement and the Local Context in Latin America". Human Rights Quarterly. 30 (1): 119–145. doi:10.1353/hrq.2008.0008. ISSN   0275-0392. JSTOR   20486699.
  6. ↑ Ventura, Iris (2016). "The Rise of Human Trafficking in Central America". eRepository@Seton Hall. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Zdrojewski, Kate. "The Development of Sex Trafficking in Central America" (PDF). du.edu. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  8. ↑ Polaris Project(2002). Sex Trafficking From Latin America. https://polarisproject.org/es/initiatives/sex-trafficking-latin-america
  9. ↑ International Labor Organization (2014). The Meanings of Forced Labor. http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-labour/news/WCMS_237569/lang--en/index.htm
  10. 1 2 3 International Labor Organization (2014). Fighting Forced Labor in Latin America. http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_075511/lang--en/index.htm
  11. ↑ "Global Report of Trafficking In Persons 2014" (PDF). UNODC.org. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  12. ↑ Gagne, David (27 March 2017). "Latin America's Success (and Struggles) in Fighting Human Trafficking". InSight Crime. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  13. 1 2 "What Fuels Human Trafficking?". UNICEF USA. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  14. ↑ "What is human trafficking" (PDF). us.sagepub.com. 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  15. ↑ Cameron, Newman, Sally, Edward (1970–2008). "Trafficking in humans: social, cultural, and political dimensions" (PDF). Retrieved 6 March 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ "Developing Better Indicators of Human Trafficking | Request PDF". ResearchGate. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  17. ↑ "Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (New York, 15 November 2000)" (PDF). unodc.org. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
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