Human trafficking in Colombia information

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The country of Colombia, South America, has a high prevalence of women and girls who are subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution. These women and girls work within Colombia, and are also sent to sex tourism destinations in other parts of Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and North America, including the United States. The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela^[1] has worsened from 2010 to the present, with almost 1.5 million people fleeing from Venezuela to cities throughout Colombia in recent years. Immigrants in major Colombian cities such as Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali find work scarce, and some turn to prostitution as a last resort to feed their families. Within Colombia, some men are found in conditions of forced labor, but the forced prostitution of women and children from rural areas and urban areas remains a larger problem. Individual cases of forced marriage – a risk factor for trafficking – involuntary domestic servitude, and forced begging have been reported. Some children are subjected to forced labor in mines and quarries, in the agricultural sector or as domestic servants.^[2] Groups at high risk for internal trafficking include displaced persons, poor women in rural areas, and relatives of members of criminal organizations. Continued armed violence in Colombia has displaced many in rural communities, making them vulnerable to human trafficking. Guerillas and new illegal armed groups have been reported to forcibly recruit children to join their ranks; the government estimates thousands of children are exploited under such conditions. Members of gangs and organized criminal networks may force their relatives and acquaintances, and displaced persons – typically women and children – into conditions of forced prostitution and forced labor, including forced work in the illegal drug trade. Colombia is also a destination for foreign child sex tourists, particularly in coastal cities such as Cartagena and Barranquilla. Migrants from South America, Africa, and China transit Colombia en route to the United States and Europe; some may fall victim to traffickers.

In December 2009 Ecuadorian government investigations revealed that the drug trafficking Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) had an extensive network in Ecuador and might have possibly allowed guerrillas to fund President Rafael Correa’s 2006 election campaign. The US and EU have labeled the FARC as a terrorist organization. With the penetration of the FARC into Ecuador’s government and judiciary system, the country has turned into a region of transnational crime organizations penetrating its borders. When the visa restrictions for nationals from most countries were lifted in Ecuador in 2008, and with the implementation in 2000 to the US dollar as currency, the borders were opened up to more money laundering and human trafficking organizations from Russia, China, India and Africa. US diplomats state that almost every non-Latin American immigrant that was captured had transitioned through Ecuador. Since the investigations in December, concerns for Ecuador have been on the rise and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was to take action in February 2010 in a meeting in Abu-Dhabi.^[3] Colombia has always been known for its drug smuggling into the US, and has now become a major hub for smuggling people from Africa and Asia into the US through Mexico; causing major security problems and possibly bringing in terrorists.^[4]

Felipe Muñoz of Colombia’s domestic intelligence and immigration agency (DAS) reported that in 2009 more than 480 illegal immigrants were captured. Colombian officials arrested Ethiopian national Yohannes Elfneh Neguissie in connection with human trafficking. He was living in Colombia as a refugee and was receiving money from South Africa and the US in order to send immigrants via boat, or cheap flights to Mexico. He is said to have moved over 1,000 people through Colombia in 2009 alone.^[4]

The Government of Colombia fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons. During the reporting period, the government increased law enforcement actions against trafficking offenders, enhanced prevention efforts, and continued to offer victim services through an interagency trafficking operations center and through partnerships with NGO's and international organizations. The significant number of Colombians trafficked abroad, however, reflects the need for increased prevention efforts and victim services.^[5]

In February 2009, Colombia’s President Uribe stigmatized the general work of human rights defenders, accusing them to be working with the guerrilla. Through his statements, he showed direct disrespect for legitimate human rights organizations. On 2 March 2009, the Uribe Government accused the US Committee on Labour and Eduacation of being driven by political hatred. A national and international campaign began in September 2009, hoping to change the Government’s views on human rights defender. Over 270 human rights organizations have come together for the "Colombia: Human Rights Defenders Under Threat" campaign.^[6]

The U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons placed the country in "Tier 1" in 2017.^[7]