EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The trafficking of women and children for the purposed of
sexual exploitation is an everyday reality for the Central American and
Caribbean region. It affects each country uniquely, presenting a
different combination of challenges to relevant government agencies,
non-governmental service providers and society as a whole. Research
findings for this regional investigation indicate the following:
. Traffickers in the region work primarily by means of
deception, with false promises of decent and lucrative
employment in maquilas, restaurants, bars, hotels, and homes,
among other places. 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;
restricted access to earnings; physical restraint; 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.
. Numbers are not available. Quantification of trafficking has
been complicated by several factors: lack of a uniform
definition and understanding; absence of direct indicators and
registries aimed at identifying the magnitude of the problem;
the extremely low number of prosecutions due to investigative
limitations (human and technical capacity) and absence of
complaints/reports of trafficking related criminal activity; and
difficulties in the identification of trafficked persons.
. With the exception of the Dominican Republic, trafficking has
not been incorporated into the national agendas of the
countries in the region.
. Government representatives in all eight countries recognize
trafficking as a problem, and often as an increasing one. Some
serious efforts are being taken to combat the problem,
although on an ad hoc basis. In most cases, it is a single
official supporting the effort.
. All countries except El Salvador have criminalized
international sex trafficking, although these laws are rarely
applied. Most jurisdictions use the crime of procuring
(proxenetismo) to counter sex trafficking, although the number
of prosecutions is still extremely low.
Investigation and prosecution is often compromised by the need to have a
complaint registered before pursuing a case. Anti smuggling
legislation is increasingly being applied in El Salvador,
Honduras, and Guatemala, although distinctions between
trafficking and smuggling are not made. As a result, victims
needs are ignored. Thus far, government response mechanisms have been nonexistent
or inadequate. Disinterest, corruption, and
constrained resources plague law enforcement and
immigration sectors, severely limiting their effectiveness.
Child and women’s welfare agencies offer little to no services
adequate to meet the needs of survivors of trafficking.
. Special protections or attention for child trafficking victims
have been legislated in most of the countries, either through
reforms or special laws on child sexual exploitation. Many of
these assistance plans are unfunded, however, so they do not
exist or are woefully inadequate in practice. Integration and
rehabilitation programs were particularly lacking.
. In many countries, the media has begun to report on cases of
trafficking, although investigative reporting on the issue is still
rare.
. Overall, the region suffers from an absolute lack 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.