A little over a week away, the INAU passed the line of what was the final of the Libertadores and Sudamericana cups regarding the protocol against the sexual abuse and exploitation of minors, which had put the institute on alert, as reported The Observer. According to a report presented by the Directorate of the Department of Public Shows to the institute, there were a single event outside the regulations and the protocols were developed normally, although they did self-criticism on two points.
The offense occurred on the day of the Copa Libertadores final, on November 27. A record was drawn up because the presence of two adolescents was identified in a place where the entry of minors was prohibited. In this case it was a dance bowling alley. Article 186 of the Code of Childhood and Adolescence was applied, which stipulates the prohibition of attending “casinos, brothels and the like, whiskey bars and nightclubs, regardless of their denomination.”
The report received by the Executive of the INAU to which he agreed The Observer indicates that the joint work between the Municipality of Montevideo –through the Directorate of Public Shows–, the Ministry of the Interior and the National Committee for the Eradication of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Boys, Girls and Adolescents (Conapees) “It developed in a positive way.”
When listing the gaps, they made two main points. The first was that a planned campaign was not carried out in coordination with the National Drug Board and the Departmental Drug Board. They had planned to carry out a campaign on social networks and establish points of attention at the Fan Fest that took place in Punta Carretas. As reported, “it was not materialized due to situations related to its operation.”
The second point refers to the internal work of Public Shows, which for the South American Cup was “diminished” due to the fact that “there were inspectors with covid swabs that made them suspend departures.” In any case, the report clarifies, “telephone coordination was maintained with the Intendance and the MI Comptroller due to specific situations that could arise.”
The protocol and the alert
Early november The Observer He reported that The INAU Executive had made a request for information to find out if there was a real risk of an increase in trafficking and sexual exploitation of children and adolescents from the finals. Two weeks later, the institute and the Ministry of Tourism announced a protocol to prevent incidents.
The Blue Line began to attend 24 hours – although it did not receive any calls for this reason – and information brochures were distributed.
As stated in the report, an awareness-raising instance was carried out among the Intendancy staff who work in the vicinity of the Stadium, the car attendants and private workers who need municipal permission to work at the event. Conapees brochures were also handed out at six key points in the city.
In addition, together with the Ministry of the Interior, informative interventions were carried out at the Punta Carretas Fan Fest. Inspectors of the Intendancy toured commercial premises and hotels with the highest attendance and the inspection was increased.
The director of the National Institute of Women (Inmujeres), Mónica Bottero, had warned The Observer that “this type of event can be provided for exploitation situations.”
“You may be recruiting chiquilinas To which they may be proposing, in exchange for money that may be important to them, to enter a network of exploitation. Obviously not from that place: they offer them the money with the temptation that they can stay in hotels. There are a series of situations, of little girls who are in an economic or psychological situation and can fall into that. It is good that the citizens know it: it is exploitation and it is illegal, it does not matter if the little girl realizes it or not, “said Bottero.
