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OVERVIEW OF THE PROBLEM IN LATIN AMERICA
The problem of trafficking of women has reached global proportions in recent years. A
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) report states that two million women and children from
Asia, the former USSR and Latin America, are tricked each year by traffickers who offer
them jobs abroad.6 The same report states that of those two million women and children
about 50,000 per year are brought to the U.S. for prostitution. While most of these
individuals come from Asia and Eastern Europe, about 10,000 originate from Latin America
each year.7 But this figure hardly reflects the reality of what is happening today in Latin
America. For example, it is estimated that about forty million children are being prostituted
in Latin America as a result of poor economic conditions.8 The sex-tourism industry is
booming in the region due to increased poverty and lack of regulation and control
measures. In Nicaragua, a government study conducted in 1999 stated that 82% of
children who prostituted themselves had done so within the last year.9 In addition, 47% of
these children had chosen this path out of economic necessity and 96% engaged in
prostitution to sustain their drug dependency (50% are dependent on glue).10 These
figures are quite representative of the general scenario in Central America. Further, in
Guatemala, the local police estimates that about 2,000 girls and boys are being sexually
exploited in 600 brothels in the capital alone.11 Costa Rica, which is currently Central
America?s leading tourist destination with one million foreign visitors in 1999, is believed to
have the biggest child prostitution problem in the region.12 While there are no statistics
that show the number of men that travel to Costa Rica for sex with young prostitutes, local
authorities estimate them to be about 5,000 each year.13 Moreover, the National Institute
for children estimates that about 3,000 children14 are involved in prostitution in the
country?s capital. Children are not only prostituted but also sold for adoption. According to
the United Nations Children?s Fund (Unicef), illegal adoptions from third world countries
are also on the rise with Guatemala currently being the main Latin American provider of
babies to Western nations.15

On the women?s rights side, data indicates that the Dominican Republic, Colombia and
Brazil supply most of the Latin American female prostitutes around the world, especially
Europe. They usually apply for tourist or artist visas and end up working as prostitutes. For
instance, the Swiss federal police stated that of all the artist visas awarded to ?dancers?
the main recipients were the Dominican Republic with 23% of the visas followed by Russia
with 17% and Brazil with 14%.16 While most Latin American women who work as
prostitutes turn to Europe, the U.S. is also a recipient country, especially for Central
American women. This paper will focus on the issue of trafficking of women and children in
Latin America specifically. The main objective of the paper is to provide additional
information on recent trends in the region that show an increase in slave-like conditions for
women and children and in trafficking from and within Latin America. In fact, there is
already evidence of growth of the child-sex industry in many parts of Central America given
that the more traditional destinations such as Thailand and the Philippines are being
increasingly regulated. This is the result of highlighted awareness in that part of the world
and hence stricter laws and increased enforcement. Consequently, criminal networks are
being formed in new areas that are under-regulated, corrupt and have weak judicial
systems. This paper will also demonstrate how the dynamics of Latin American trafficking
show some similarities and differences with trafficking in other parts of the world. A number
of interviews were conducted with selected individuals in order to obtain information. These
include an interview with Ms. Sara Torres, Specialist on Sexual Rights of Women and
Consultant at INADI ( National Institute Against Discrimination ) at the Ministry of Interior in
Argentina, Mr. Luis R.Cortes, Senior Intelligence Analyst at the Washington, D.C.
headquarters of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), and Mr. Orlando
Henriques, Attaché at the Embassy of Brazil in Washington, D.C., and in charge of human
rights issues.