“The Ombudsman’s Office attended, accompanied and activated the protection route in favor of 44 women victims of the crime of human trafficking in 2021, of which 15 cases were Venezuelan migrants,” said the Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo, during the installation of the Inter-American Forum to Fight Trafficking in Persons, No More Trafficking, which is being promoted by the Entity in association with Lawyers Without Borders Canada.
In a press release, the Colombian Ombudsman’s Office details that the 15 Venezuelan women victims of human trafficking have received psychological and legal support from the gender duplas of the Ombudsman’s Office in different regions of the country: in Norte de Santander ( 5 cases), Putumayo (2), Cauca (2), Santander (2), Bogotá, La Guajira, Pacífico (Buenaventura), and Vichada, with one case each.
Similarly, support is provided to 29 Colombian women in Norte de Santander (8 cases), Caldas (6), Bogotá (3), Pacífico (Buenaventura, 3 cases), Cauca (2), La Guajira (2), Valle del Cauca (2), Nariño (2) and Antioquia one case.
“Human trafficking is a phenomenon that violates multiple human rights, but due to their irregular status, migrant women are more exposed and vulnerable. I call on State entities to prevent, assist and protect the victims, as well as prosecute and prosecute the perpetrators”, highlights Carlos Camargo at the opening of the Forum.
One of the tasks that the Ombudsman considers essential to prevent and counter human trafficking is the articulation of concrete actions with civil society, international organizations or international cooperation.
Precisely, the Ombudsman highlights that, together with Lawyers Without Borders Canada, the entity works to materialize the No More Trafficking project.
“This allows us to strengthen our capacities to influence the prevention of this violation of human rights, contribute to actions to protect and guarantee the rights of victims and their families.”
For his part, Pascal Paradis, director of Lawyers Without Borders Canada, ASFC, celebrates the organization of the Forum as a new stage in the joint work of Lawyers Without Borders Canada with the Colombian Ombudsman.
“Given that the crime of human trafficking occurs both internally and transnationally, strengthening the articulation with regional actors and spaces for coordination is essential, both for state institutions and for civil society. To do this, we contribute with the expertise of Lawyers Without Borders Canada in matters of human trafficking in the Americas, ”he says.
Here we will seek to build proposals for the prevention, persecution and eradication of this behavior that violates human rights, which affects girls, adolescents, women and people with diverse sexual orientation and gender identity in a differentiated way”, adds the Ombudsman.
Finally, it ensures that the Ombudsman’s Office currently advises and legally represents 135 victims and survivors of human trafficking, through the Victims’ Judicial Representation group of the Public Defender’s Office, throughout the country.
In Antioquia 84 processes, Bogotá 20, Valle del Cauca 14, Santander 9, Risaralda 6 and Córdoba and Tolima with one case each, details the press release from the Colombian Ombudsman.
The No More Trafficking Forum has the participation of the writer Marcela Loaiza, a victim of an international network dedicated to human trafficking for the prostitution of others, who shares an emotional story in which she points out that “being victims of trafficking is having a scar in the soul, an invisible scar but it is there”, tweeted the Lawyers Without Borders account @AsfcanadaC.
