HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN VENEZUELA.

Oct 04, 2016 Editorial

Our northern neighbour, Venezuela, is facing serious economic, financial and political difficulties. Its economy is in shambles, production and price of oil have fallen by 16 percent and 45 percent respectively, imports have been sliced in half, jobs are scarce and there is a major currency shortage.
Economically and financially, Venezuela is bankrupt; politically, it is divided. Almost every day, people are protesting the shortage of food and basic human amenities and their poor living conditions. Amidst of these problems, it continues to focus on the border dispute with Guyana. Human trafficking is prevalent in most countries, but nowhere more than in Venezuela where the dire economic situation is having a devastating impact on the poor. Commonly referred to as modern day slavery, human trafficking has reached an all-time high in Venezuela.
Venezuelans are struggling to survive and many have become desperate. As a result, many young women are being taking advantage of. Their dreams of better living conditions have made them easy prey for human trafficking.
Statistics have shown that since the economic downturn in Venezuela a year ago, human trafficking, has actually tripled. It has become a problem of epidemic proportions in the country as young women and girls as young twelve years old are placed on auction for bidding by local pimps and brothel operators. They are lured by promises of well-paying jobs in other countries, only to fall victims to forced labour, domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation or prostitution.
Human trafficking has become so profitable in Venezuela that the Minister of National Security has called for tougher laws and tighter surveillance of traffickers and the country’s borders. The truth is, human trafficking does not require anyone to be smuggled into other countries. People can be lured willingly and once in the country, be subject to coercion, whether physical or economic.
Of course, human trafficking is not a problem which affects only Venezuelans, but most countries, including Guyana. It is a global problem due to the challenging economic times in many countries. After drug dealing, trafficking of humans is tied with arms dealing as the second largest criminal industry in most countries, including Venezuela.
It is rising. Studies show that of the thousands of souls being trafficked across borders and within countries, 55 percent are adults, 26 percent are young girls, and 19 percent are young boys.
Globally, no inhabited continent, including the United States, is untouched by human trafficking. Cases of human trafficking in the US have occurred in all 50 states. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of children between the ages of 12 and 15 years are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation. Human trafficking is committed mostly by organised criminal groups in the US.
The Trafficking in Persons Act in the United States mandates that human trafficking is a severe human rights violation. Those found guilty of such evil acts are liable to a fine of not less than US$500,000 and imprisonment of not less than 15 years.
The International Labor Organization estimates that each year, over US$32 billion is generated from the 20.9 million people who are victims of human trafficking. The estimates do not include individuals who are victims within the borders of their own countries.
In Venezuela as in other countries, the demand for cheap labor, sexual services and certain criminal activities are among the root causes of trafficking while a lack of opportunity, resources and social standing are other contributing factors.
Recognising the signs of human trafficking is the first step to identifying the problem. Venezuela has to do more to protect its most vulnerable in society from human trafficking.

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