Trafficking is a crime and a human rights violation that affects each country individually and the extended Central American region as a whole. Women and children are being trafficked into sexual exploitation within countries, within the region and internationally.
Smuggling and trafficking networks readily exploit the region's most
vulnerable citizens economic needs and ambitions of a better life. The
behavior of these criminal networks existing at all levels of
organization and sophistication remains largely unchecked, further
fueling the trafficking trade. Children, many who have suffered past
sexual abuse, have become particularly unprotected against domestic
and international exploitation rings, encouraged by a growing child
prostitution market.
Traffickers work primarily by means of deception, with false
promises of decent and lucrative employment in maquilas, restaurants,
bars, hotels and homes, among others. Following these promises of
prosperity, women and children are pressed into sexual servitude in
order to work off transportation fees and additional debts. Control is
maintained through violence and threats, debts and fines, a restriction
of access to earnings, physical restraint and use of armed guards, and
demonstrations of impunity through open collaboration with
authorities.
The initial investment in migration and the lack of viable
alternatives once transported leave many women and children without
options. The risk of deportation, return or institutionalization (in the
case of minors) keeps many victims silent as to their condition.
In the course of trafficking, traffickers violate the following
human rights of their victims:
. the right not to be held in slavery, involuntary servitude, or
slave like conditions;
. the right to be free from exploitation;
. the right to be free from cruel and inhumane treatment;
. the right to be free from violence;
. the right to be free from discrimination based on gender;
. the right to health;
. the guarantee of freedom of movement.
Societal tolerance of the commercial sexual exploitation of
women and children, taboos regarding sexuality, and a culture that
discourages the reporting of suspected trafficking and sexual
exploitation activity contribute to the invisibility of the phenomenon.
Thus far, government response mechanisms have been nonexistent
or inadequate. Disinterest, corruption and constrained
resources plague law enforcement and immigration sectors, which have
severely limited their effectiveness. Criminal prosecutions for sex
trafficking and related crimes are minimal and convictions are rare.
Child and women's welfare agencies offer little to no services adequate
to meet the special needs of trafficking survivors.
Overall, the region suffers from an absolute paucity of
prevention, protection, suppression and integration strategies. Nascent
attention has been drawn to the trafficking of children, but lack of
funding and other obstacles have stalled implementation of targeted
programs.
The information that is available paints a disturbing picture of
criminals acting with near absolute impunity and an absence of
identification, treatment, and protection of victims. Many forums for
action, advocacy and attention are not being utilized at the moment, in
part, because trafficking in persons has not been placed on the national
agenda of the majority of countries in the region. These fora, if
mobilized, can generate awareness, help to harmonize data collection
from different institutions and countries, contribute research, draft
policy and legislative reform, and articulate strategies for victim
protection and integration, prevention and sanction.