Sex trafficking is a huge problem in Argentina and also
within Latin America. Argentina and Brazil have contributed the most cases to
the UNODC or the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime that creates the
human trafficking database, which are also the only cases that are actually
caught. The reality of sex trafficking in Argentina is that most traffickers
are members of the mafia or drug cartel and have bought off the government.
Because of this, few traffickers are ever prosecuted although the country is
making a greater effort to crack down.
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| Raid of a sex trafficking ring in Argentina |
In Argentina, more than 70 percent of sex trafficking casesare connected to drug trafficking. It is also the hub of prostitution and
trafficking in the region because it is one of the wealthier nations in Latin America.
And while they are making strides to help curb the problem, many point to
corruption as a reason why more isn’t being done.
Not only is there an initial problem of sex trafficking and
prostitution but there is also a problem of few resources for victims who
escape. Before 2007, there were absolutely no resources of any kind for women
who escaped the life of prostitution. Because of this a woman whose daughterwas kidnapped and put into a sex trafficking ring has started an organizationto help victims. Her program, Maria de los Angeles is a team of professionals
including lawyers, psychologists and social workers who help these women
rebuild their lives. The woman who started it, Susan Trimarco, was awarded the
the US state department’s Woman of Courage in Latin America and she has
prompted change on the subject Since then there has been a law put into place
that makes trafficking a federal offense. Although Trimarco has done so much
for so many Argentinean woman, she has never been able to find her own
daughter.
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| Susan Trimarco holding the photo of her daughter Marita who was kidnapped and sold into sex slavery |
In Born Free she talks about how one of the solutions for
combating sex trafficking and sex slavery is to reduce the amount of organized
crime and by doing so will have a major impact on prostitution. I think for
Argentina this is key because multiple reports have included that the drug
traffickers and mafia are often responsible for kidnapping women and selling
them into prostitution. By fixing this overall problem, Argentina will make
real strides towards ending human slavery.
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