June 16, 2023, 4:46 PM
June 16, 2023, 4:46 PM
The Bolivian State and its authorities they are not fully complying with the regulations that combat trafficking and smuggling of people; but also the cases are increasing significantly, points out the report on this subject prepared by the United States Department of Statehence lowered the country to the “level 2 watch list”.
“Government did not demonstrate an overall increase in efforts compared to the previous reporting period. The functionaries did not report investigating, prosecuting, or convicting the traffickers and they did not report having identified or referred the victims to receive care. Therefore, Bolivia was downgraded to the Tier 2 Watch List.
Since the 2000s the US government is conducting a monitoring of cases of trafficking and smuggling in countries worldwide and classifies them according to the work they do against this crime. According to the 2023 report, Bolivia descended to level 2.
“Countries that are on level 2 “Watch List” are those that, in addition to having the profile of level 2, have an estimated number of victims that is significant or increasing, and where no action is being taken proportional to it, or where there is insufficient evidence of the efforts for previous years”, explains the NGO, Regional Initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean Free of Child Labor.
The report left 13 recommendations for the Bolivian StateThese include: vigorously investigating and prosecuting trafficking offences, and seeking appropriate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should entail significant prison time.
Provide protection services to victims of trafficking throughout the country, including men and boys, and reopen the shelter for child victims of trafficking in La Paz.
Finance and implement the National Action Plan (PAN) 2021-2025.
Appoint specialized labor inspectors and train all labor inspectors on victim identification and criminal referral of forced labor cases. Bolivia has serious child labor problems in the mining centers.
Modify the anti-trafficking law to ensure that a show of force, fraud, or coercion is not required to constitute a child sex trafficking offense.
Evaluate Venezuelan migrants displaced persons for indicators of trafficking, including individuals in commercial sex and those working in high-risk sectors.
Develop and implement a centralized system traffic data collection system to reconcile duplicate data stored in different systems.
Direct the personnel of the Ministry of Health to screen vulnerable populations for indicators of trafficking when conducting medical examinations.
Provide interpreters to assist law enforcement officials investigating cases of child sex tourism in popular tourist spots.
“The authorities did not report having investigated, prosecuted or convicted to any traffickers, compared to the previous reporting period, when officials reported 419 open complaints filed with the national police, 62 trafficking investigations, 22 trafficking prosecutions (12 for sex trafficking, five for labor trafficking, and five for other forms of servitude), and 12 trafficking convictions (five for trafficking sex and seven for labor trafficking). The media indicated that the authorities had received 420 complaints related to trafficking in the first seven months of 2022, ”says another part of the report.
