The relative economic well being of Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic give these countries distance from the rest of Central America. The trafficking situations in each of these countries are very different, although routes have been found to run between them. Dominican women have been trafficked to Costa Rica and Panama, and suspected trafficking activity occurs along the border between Costa Rica and Panama.
In contrast to the other five countries
in the region, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Panama have
been implicated in extra regional trafficking to a greater degree.
Routes from the Dominican Republic reach into the Caribbean (Aruba,
St. Martin, Curacao), to South America (Argentina), and to Europe
(Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and Spain,
among others). Trafficked women from the Dominican Republic and
Colombia have been brought to Costa Rica, and unconfirmed reports of
trafficking activity from Bulgaria, Russia and the Philippines were also
noted.
According to media reports, Costa Rican women have been
recruited into the sex sector in Canada. From Panama, trafficking
activity was identified through Egypt and to Israel. Colombian and
Dominican women have been trafficked to Panama. The trafficking
activity from, to and between these countries requires air or sea
transport, which appears to have reduced the numbers of child victims,
in comparison to the rest of Central America.
Domestic Trafficking Routes
The detection of domestic trafficking routes in the region is
significantly more difficult than cross-border behavior. Lack of
appropriate legislation, public perception and the characteristics of
victims all complicated visibility of domestic manifestations of
trafficking. The crime of trafficking (trata de personas) in all countries
except Nicaragua apply only to instances of cross border movement.
Domestic trafficking cases are therefore prosecuted as other crimes,
such as pimping or pandering, and inquiries regarding forced
movement or migration are not made. In the media and as a topic of
public concern, domestic trafficking activity is overshadowed by the
sexual exploitation itself prostitution, pornography, sex tourism and
other forms. Finally, by virtue of shared nationality, trafficked persons
are not as easily identified.
Nevertheless, internal trafficking was noted, generally flowing
from rural and poorer areas to large cities or tourist centers, and from
there among the cities. In Guatemala, for example, researchers were
informed of routes moving women and minors between establishments
in Izabal, Escuintla, and Retalhuleu. In Honduras, one NGO reported a
case of a girl trafficked from Comayagua to a bar in Progreso.
San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba and other places along Honduras northern coast
also appeared to be destination points for predominately adolescents
from more rural towns Progreso, Yoro, Santa Barbara, Copan,
Ranchito, Tocoa, Colon, Masita among others. The Dominican
Republic also contains internal routes, from rural locations to tourist
areas along the coast.
Several unique characteristics of domestic trafficking are worthy of
note:
. Particularly in the Dominican Republic, domestic trafficking
appears to involve children to a much greater degree than
international traffic.
. The participation of gangs in Honduras and El Salvador in
domestic trafficking was noted, with gangs appropriating
young women and girls for their own purposes and to
prostitute for financial gain.
. Mobility and sexual exploitation mark the experience of street
children in all countries under study. This population is
extremely vulnerable to sex trafficking. The movement of this
community is often peer influenced.