1. Introduction
1.1 Background
國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
1. Introduction
1.1 Background
One of the motivations of this research is to explore and learn more about the subject of human trafficking. It will entail, learning the perception of human trafficking by governments, the identification of traffickers and victims, as well as government’s and other organizations efforts involved in combating human trafficking. Additionally, studies around the world about human trafficking have shown more concern in certain regions such as in Europe and Asia.1 Encouraging this research on human trafficking in the Latin America region. Finally, the motivation behind conducting the research on Guatemala is that the country has huge migration flows. Its geographical location, bordered with Mexico and proximity to the United States has a non-stop mobilization of goods and people. Many South and Central Americans transit through Guatemala to the United States facing dangers such as kidnapping, violence, raped, and robbery or being trafficked for sexual exploitation.2
Human Trafficking has become a global issue. Human trafficking has increased dramatically with globalization, the rise of illicit trade, and the end of the Cold War.
Globalization has made it easier for greater mobility of goods, services, capital and people, facilitating remote parts of the world to have access to the global economy.
Furthermore due to globalization, human trafficking has become a crime of both
1 Frank Laczko and Elizbieta M. Gozdziak ed. “Data and Research on Human Trafficking: Global Survey”,
2 Clare Ribando Seelke, “Trafficking in Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean”, Washington D.C.:
Congressional Research Service (2010), http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/key_workplace/792/ (Accessed November 1, 2013)
‧
small-scale entrepreneurs and large criminal organizations.3However, increasing controls on entering the most affluent countries create barriers for those who seek to migrate. Many seek illegal ways to enter countries where there is demand for labor.
This factor has facilitated human trafficking in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, with increasing number of border crossings outside the control of central state authorities. Furthermore, corruption easily takes place when certain economic conditions are unfavorable to the labor force. The result has been an increase in prostitution and other slave-like conditions for women and children in search of work.
Other aspects that are important to consider are the internal conflicts in countries, whereby many people are forced to live in bad conditions or flee to refugee camps, making them vulnerable for human trafficking.4
Latin America and the Caribbean are considered a region of source, transit and destination for victims of human trafficking. According to the International Labor Organization estimation of 1.8 million people in Latin America are engaged in forced labor. The United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) estimates that 50,000 enslaved Latin Americans are trafficked into the United States each year.5 Adding to this, a report by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) describes that women and children are the most vulnerable victims for sexual exploitation and domestic servitude in Latin America.6
3 Catherine Paris, “Modern Slavery: Human Trafficking Revealed”. (New York: Claddagh Ltd. Publishing, 2007), 114.
4 Eileen Pittaway, “Making A Mainstream Of Reality: Gender And The UNHCR Policy On Refugee Protection And Solutions In Urban Areas: A Refugee Perspective”, UNHCR, Centre for Refugee Research (2010).
http://www.unhcr.org/4b0bb83f9.pdf (accessed April 5, 2014)
5 Charles M. Goolsby, “Dynamics of Prostitution, and Sex Trafficking from Latin America into the United States”, LibertadLatina.org (2003). http://www.libertadlatina.org/LL_LatAm_US_Slavery_Report_01_2003.htm (accessed February 01, 2014)
6 UNODC-United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2012. United Nations Publications, Sales No. E.13.IV.1. (Geneva: December 2012). http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/Trafficking_in_Persons_2012_web.pdf (accessed November 10, 2013).
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
Reasons involve socioeconomic problems where families in Latin America live in poverty, have minimal education, lack of job opportunities, and suffer physical or sexual abuse by family members. Also, Latin America has a predominant issue with gender inequality and demand for prostitution is very high.7 These and other issues have contributed to the predominance of human trafficking in the region, which will be discussed in detail in the thesis. Despite the identification of forced labor in the region there are very limited studies to rely on for this research.8
Specifically in Guatemala men, women and children are victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labor. Guatemalan women are forced into prostitution within the country, in Mexico and United States. In other cases, men, women and children have been exposed to forced labor within the country in agriculture or near Guatemala-Mexico border and in the highlands of the region.
Child sex tourism has been found in Lake Atitlan, one of the most popular touristic places in Guatemala and the child sex tourists have been reported to come from Canada, Germany, Spain and the United States.9
Women in Guatemala are highly discriminated, low status and lack of rights. Children in the streets are a big problem in Guatemala. Children are physically or sexual abused by family members and lack of human rights leading them to find a better life elsewhere. In a 2002 report the United Nations estimated that approximately 2,000 minors are in prostitution just in Guatemala City alone.10 In Guatemala prostitution is
7 David E. Guinn, and Elissa Steglich, In Modern Bondage: Sex Trafficking in the Americas. 2nd ed. Chicago, IL:
International Human Rights Law Institute, DePaul University College of Law, pp.40-46.
8 U.S. Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Trafficking in Persons Report 2012 (2012), 171. http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/192587.pdf (accessed November 2, 2013).
9 U.S. Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report 2012, 172
10 Casa Alianza, “Investigation Finds Hundreds of Girls Trafficked in Guatemala, ” LibertadLatina.org, (March 31, 2004). http://www.libertadlatina.org/Lat_Guatemala_Casa_Alianza_Finds_688_Trafficked_Children_03-31-2004.htm (accessed December 2013)
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
legal, so it is a problem to identify who is being sexually exploited voluntarily or involuntarily. One thing is certain the more the demand of prostitution the more vulnerable women will be.11
1.2 Objectives of the study
The objective of this study is to learn the situation of human trafficking in Guatemala.
To understand how big of a problem is, when the government recognized human trafficking as a crime and starts to fight against it. Also the objective will be to examine the activities and response of national and international Non-Governmental Organizations that are involved in the anti-human trafficking practices in Guatemala.
Furthermore, researching public-private partnerships that worked and supported in anti-human trafficking in Guatemala. This research intends to answer two questions:
1. How is the problem of human trafficking in Latin America?
2. What have the Public and Private Partnerships (PPP) done in anti-human trafficking in Guatemala?
The reason why Guatemala has been chosen is because it is a country of origin, transit and destination for human trafficking victims. This is due to the serious problem of irregular immigration in Latin America. South and Central Americans may migrate legal or illegally hopeful to find better job opportunities in Mexico or the United States.12
Furthermore, Guatemala is a member state of the Central American Integration System (SICA) together with Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize and Dominican Republic. Of the eight SICA member states, four
11 Anti-Trafficking Technical Assistance: Guatemala Anti-Trafficking Activity Review, August 1-6, 2005. 2005.
PDF file. Washington, D.C.: Chemonics International. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDACG024.pdf. (accessed December 12, 2013).
12 ”Anti-trafficking Technical Assistance: Guatemala Anti-Trafficking Activity Review”.