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Alert for the alarming increase in cases of human trafficking in Colombia during 2024
62% of the cases, accompanied by the Ombudsman's Office, are related to sexual exploitation

By Licsa Gómez

The Ombudsman's Office warned of the increase in cases of human trafficking so far in 2024, highlighting the serious social and human rights problem that this crime brings with it, which consists of the recruitment, transportation, shelter or reception of people, resorting to threats, use of force or other forms of coercion, for the purpose of exploitation.

Specifically, the human rights defense entity assured that it has attended to nearly 80 cases of human trafficking: “So far this year, at the national level, our Gender Pairs have attended to 79 cases of victims of human trafficking. The figure worries us because, when compared to the attentions made in the first four months of 2023, it increased by 139%, indicates the Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo Assis.

However, the defender added that they are aware that there is an underreporting of cases: “It is a growing phenomenon, that is why we ask all the entities that make up the Interinstitutional Committee for the Fight against Trafficking in Persons to comply with the provisions of Law 985 of 2005, which gives an account of the measures against this crime and the care and protection of the victims.”
And the fact is that trafficking is an invisible crime, its reporting is quite complex, which is why he assured that the Attorney General's Office of the Nation must direct actions that provide ease in the attention of the cases, and all the institutionality, advocate for the attention and reparation of those who have been affected by the scourge.
Data from the entity show that 62% of the cases accompanied by the Ombudsman's Office in the first four months of 2024, with the assistance of its Delegate for Women's Rights and Gender Affairs, are related to sexual exploitation.

Places where the crime persists

For the Ombudsman's Office: "The repetition of the events in the country that have been alerted in at least five of the entity's warning documents is really painful."
The cases continue to be concentrated in Norte de Santander, with 32 accompaniments carried out by the entity's Gender Pairs; followed by Chocó, with 16; Meta, with 10; Valle del Cauca, with 5, and Cundinamarca, with 3 cases.
“We need to do more tracking of the crime, that is why we launched the ‘Ombudsman Observatory for the Analysis of Human Trafficking’, which will serve to monitor the data reported by various entities and continue to put on the table information that allows for progress in public policies for the attention to victims and the encouragement of reporting,” stressed Carlos Camargo Assis.

The Ombudsman also said that it is necessary for departmental and municipal authorities to include the problem of human trafficking in their agendas, with the objective of preventing and mitigating it through development plans, public budgets and action plans.

Overview between 2020 and 2023

Between 2020 and 2023, the Ombudsman's Office handled a total of 279 cases related to human trafficking in Colombia. These cases were concentrated in Norte de Santander, with 78; followed by Bogotá, with 28; Bolívar and Caldas, each with 20, and Antioquia and Valle del Cauca, with 15 each.

Cases were also reported in the departments of Quindío, Cundinamarca, Meta, Chocó, Putumayo, Risaralda, La Guajira, Santander, Tolima, Cauca, Boyacá and Caquetá.
The entity, which also participates in the judicial representation of the victims, had legal representation of 125 affected people as of December 2023, most of them in Bogotá, with 32 people; and Valle del Cauca, with 22.

80% of trafficking victims in Latin America are women and girls
The lack of information to identify signs in cases of human trafficking means that trafficking networks have no restraint and take advantage of the vulnerability of their victims.
Although we believe that slavery is a dishonorable matter of the past, the victims of modern forms of this crime are the greatest evidence that this is not true. This false belief is so common that it is recognized as one of the greatest obstacles to combating human trafficking in the world.
“Human trafficking is a crime that hides not only in the shadows but in plain sight. Many victims walk among us daily, they are on the corners, at construction sites, in factories and public places,” said Ghada Waly, director of the United Nations office on drugs and crime UNDOC on July 30, World Day against Trafficking in Persons.
Human trafficking has different forms and purposes, ranging from sexual exploitation, perhaps the best known, to forced labor, domestic servitude, child begging, or organ harvesting. It is estimated that 60% of victims worldwide are girls and women, according to the Trafficking in Persons 2022 report.
In the Americas region, 80% of identified cases are women and girls, and more than 70% of these cases have sexual exploitation as their purpose. The Counter Trafficking Data Collaborative (CTDC, 2023) count shows that, in this region of the world, one in three victims of trafficking is a minor, and that Central America and the Caribbean are where the highest number of cases occur. According to the IOM, the domestic work sector is in fourth place with the highest number of victims of labor exploitation identified in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Myths have been woven around human trafficking, based on this invisibility, which lead to the belief that sexual exploitation is the only form of trafficking, that it only occurs abroad, or that children and men are not susceptible to being victims. In fact, labor exploitation is one of the fastest growing phenomena in the entire region, in which men are the most affected.
Since 2002, it has been detected that there are more male victims of human trafficking, to the point that in 2020 they represented approximately 20% of the total number of victims detected. It has also been shown that trafficking does not necessarily involve crossing borders and can occur closer than one thinks.
The factors that influence human beings to end up in this tragedy are diverse. Poverty, social inequality and different forms of discrimination are some of them, as they increase the fragility of people to become victims of this crime. The perpetrators know how to recognize these vulnerabilities in order to recruit and exploit. They do not require effort to operate in these contexts and they know that the chances of being reported are low, as shown by the International Organization for Migration.
While girls and boys are controlled mainly through physical abuse and psychoactive substances, adult cases have a more psychological nature, although in both populations there may be a combination of these forms of control.
For example, victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation are subjected through psychological control tactics such as withholding payments and personal documents, falling in love, false promises, psychological abuse, restriction of movement, excessive work hours and threats. In addition, trafficking networks are so skillful that they have easily adapted to the technological changes of an increasingly digital world and therefore their actions can be more widespread. Some offers that should generate suspicion are those that promise very high salaries for profiles with little training or experience, facilities or gifts for visa procedures, tickets and lodging, promises of a partner met on the Internet and other job offers that seem so good that they do not correspond to the regular labor market. The recruiters can be kind and attractive people who gain the trust of the victim and even their family.
According to the #EsoEsCuento initiative, which tries to warn about the dangers of any person facing trafficking, it is estimated that traffickers obtain approximately 150,000 million dollars annually, as a result of the commercialization of children, girls, adolescents, men and women.
The figures do not do justice to the reality of each of the stories that make them up, in addition the underreporting is high and can be marked by those myths of trafficking. For this reason, as a society, it is important to know the crime, be alert and know the reporting routes in each country.
In the framework of the World Day against Trafficking, the global humanitarian and development organization, Plan International, calls for a call to highlight the worrying situation of girls and women in the region. An urgent and coordinated response is required at the regional level to address this emergency.
According to a study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Central America and the Caribbean, more than 50 percent of people who are victims of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation in the region are girls, making this the most affected group within this category. In South America, women represent half of all detected victims of human trafficking and are subjected to both sexual exploitation and forced labor. They constitute 87 percent of detected victims of sexual exploitation in the region.
For Débora Cobar, director of Plan International for Latin America and the Caribbean, human trafficking is a problem that involves the entire society:
“Due to poverty, forced migration, sexual violence and gender violence, among other factors, girls and women have become the main victims of trafficking in the region. Right now, the rights of girls and boys are being violated. We cannot wait one more day or more lives will be lost.”
Human trafficking in contexts of conflict, humanitarian crises and migration
In Latin America and the Caribbean, nearly 1.56 million people are vulnerable to trafficking and smuggling. Due to human mobility, many of them are in host communities, in transit (Venezuelan people, among others), on the move (temporary migratory movements) and returnees.
In Central America and the Caribbean, girls and women make up the majority of victims of human trafficking, representing 61% and 21% of detected cases, respectively.
Nearly four percent of trafficking victims detected in South America came from Haiti and the Dominican Republic in 2020. This represents a significant number compared to the population size of these two countries. The situation of hunger and conflict between gangs, mainly in Haiti, have exacerbated the vulnerability of girls and women, who are forced to fall into these networks with promises of a better life.
In the case of Venezuela, women and girls have been forced to leave their country of origin due to the socioeconomic situation and are mainly vulnerable to human trafficking and smuggling. Due to the dangerous routes they cross, irregular border crossings or places where they spend the night during the trip, they are often forced into forced prostitution and sexual exploitation. Plan International calls for an urgent response
“The eradication of human trafficking requires a sustained effort and effective collaboration between governments, civil society organizations and citizens. We urge leaders and the international community to strengthen their commitment to the fight against trafficking, and to ensure that concrete strategies are implemented with a differential approach for prevention and comprehensive care in order to protect children, especially girls, and that they grow up exercising their rights in peace and without fear of being violated,” says Cobar.
Plan International has a presence in at least 13 countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region. It provides legal, psychosocial and humanitarian assistance, and provides safe spaces in some border cities so that girls and boys can be protected. It also focuses on establishing child protection mechanisms at the community level in order to prevent violence and trafficking, strengthening protection systems and seeking to create support networks at the community level. It also works to raise awareness and prevent the risks of human trafficking in urban and rural communities and protect children, especially girls.

How do we fight against human trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean?

When we talk about human trafficking, we may think of images filled with chains, ropes and blindfolds. Although it is a crime that can involve physical abuse, the picture is much broader and the problem can be “hidden in plain sight.” Some campaigns point out that signs of trafficking can be traced, for example, in work environments with excessive hours, very low pay or residence in workplaces. It can also be identified when there are threats of arrest, food deprivation or restrictions on freedoms to socialize.
Trafficking is also carried out in multiple scenarios: it can occur internally or in mixed migratory flows; it is perpetrated by strangers in other parts of the world or by close relatives. It can occur in physical confinement or under digital coercion. Women and diverse populations are the most exposed and are increasingly being captured through digital channels. It is a complex problem that requires a differential, multi-sectoral and innovative approach.
So what is trafficking?
Human trafficking is a crime that currently affects all countries. It occurs when people are captured and/or transported for exploitation, through deception, threats, use of force, abuse of power or a situation of vulnerability. Victims of trafficking may be forced to perform forced labor, participate in criminal activities, or may also be victims of sexual exploitation and even organ extraction.
The number of people who are victims of trafficking in the world is estimated at 2.5 million. However, it is estimated that for every victim of human trafficking identified, there are 20 more unidentified. In 2018, 50% of trafficking cases were for sexual exploitation and 38% for labour exploitation.
The suffering is different; the needs are different too: tackling trafficking with a differential approach
In Latin America, women and girls are the most affected by human trafficking in general. Central America has more victims per 100,000 inhabitants than any other region in the world. In South America, 93% of trafficking victims were detected within the same region. In this subregion, the vast majority of trafficking victims detected (80%) are female, women and girls. Adult women make up a narrow majority of detected victims (51%), while girls represent a significant proportion (31%).
Women and girls
The greatest risk experienced by women and girls in situations of trafficking is often related to experiences of gender-based violence, prejudice, stereotypes and inequality of socioeconomic opportunities. Therefore, it is crucial that anti-trafficking strategies have a differential approach for prevention and comprehensive care. For example, the relevance of the complementarity of economic inclusion programs to prevent the risk of exposure to possible trafficking situations is highlighted. Likewise, the need to promote educational and awareness-raising campaigns to reduce situations of sexual violence that may be associated with human trafficking is needed.
Men and boys
In the case of men and boys, greater emphasis is required on the prevention of situations of labor exploitation and forced labor. Recognizing the nature of trafficking cases, their causes and consequences differentiated by gender is a pillar for developing a comprehensive response.
Diverse populations
In the region, it has also been identified that other diverse populations, such as indigenous peoples, people with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ population may experience a greater risk in these situations. This is why it is necessary to create campaigns and care measures that are culturally relevant and accessible to different population groups. For example, there is significant progress in some countries seeking to create prevention messages appropriate to indigenous languages, traditions and worldviews of peoples.

Which sectors are involved in preventing and addressing human trafficking cases?
Public sector
One of the main challenges in combating this crime is the intervention of the public sector to achieve the effective design and implementation of policies that aim to strengthen the state's capacity to prevent and respond to human trafficking. The response of the public sector must be coordinated and comprehensive. To do this, it is necessary to continue advancing in the creation of legal frameworks to define the responsibilities, obligations, roles and coordination of public bodies. As well as the creation and strengthening of bodies and structures that allow for the correct prevention of crimes, attention to victims and the prosecution of crimes.
Private sector
Human trafficking has also become a challenge for the private sector. Many of the industries and sectors integrated into global markets see the importance of combating this crime within their businesses. Hence, it is vitally important to work on creating strategic alliances with the private sector to fight human trafficking.
It is often a challenge for companies to understand the extent of their exposure to risk. The hotel sector is one of the most common sectors where sexual exploitation transactions involving women, children and adolescents occur. Cases are also detected in industrial value chains. Some examples are agriculture, supermarkets, information and communication technology, clothing and textiles. Actions such as strengthening standards and codes of conduct and implementing due diligence measures that specifically address risk indicators of human trafficking are key to preventing risky practices in the private sector.
Innovative solutions for the prevention and response to trafficking
The latest global reports show that digital channels are increasingly used for recruitment and exploitation in situations of human trafficking. Deceptive job offers are published on social media as a method of attracting and recruiting people. In addition, the dynamics of trafficking based on the Internet are becoming more frequent, in which people, especially women and girls, are sexually exploited through streaming platforms or are blackmailed with intimate content. Therefore, it is essential to accompany prevention strategies with awareness-raising and training in digital security to avoid the risks of exposure in these new scenarios.
However, technology is also a great ally to bring services closer to people who cannot access them in person, either due to lack of time or resources to travel, because going to these represents a risk, or because their mobility is restricted, as often happens in cases of trafficking. Digital platforms for the care of victims of gender-based violence are an example of the above, and can constitute an alternative for people in trafficking situations to contact the institutions that can protect them.
Another example of the use of technology for the prevention of trafficking are games or applications as a means to raise awareness about the identification of potential trafficking situations in an educational way for children and adolescents at risk of being victims of this crime. In this way, interaction becomes more accessible so that they understand the situations that may put them at risk of recruitment, transfer, shelter, and exploitation of people and can prevent these crimes or provide adequate care when a case is detected.
The keys when designing effective technology-based solutions to address this problem are to make a design focused on the user, in this case the victims of trafficking; to place security and ethical aspects as central principles of the design decisions; and to consider from the beginning the coordination and inter-institutional work required for the sustainability of the solutions, but above all for the comprehensive care of the victims. People in situations of trafficking may face various risks and present multiple needs that will require the intervention of several institutions and services.
How do we support solutions to this problem from the IDB?
The IDB is making efforts to support the detection, prevention, and response to this crime in the Latin American and Caribbean region. In addition to the Regional Policy Dialogue, the Regional Public Good (RPG) workshop “Model for strengthening institutional capacities of the security and justice sector to respond to human trafficking in LAC with a gender focus and addressing the digital sphere” was held last month. Likewise, work is being done to generate and disseminate knowledge about the crime of trafficking in LAC.
In 2020, the total number of trafficking victims detected worldwide by the UNODC decreased for the first time in twenty years, as the pandemic limited the opportunities for traffickers and their detection (UNODC, 2023). Compared to 2019, the total number of victims detected in 2020 decreased by 11 percent. In addition to limited opportunities for trafficking and its detection, this decline could also be due to some forms of trafficking – such as for sexual exploitation – moving into more hidden spaces. Globally, the detection of victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation decreased by 24 percent in 2020 compared to 2019. This may be due to the closure of public places during the pandemic, where sexual exploitation often takes place (ibid.).
ACCORDING TO IA
In Central and South America, human trafficking continues to be a serious and complex problem. In 2023, it is estimated that approximately 1.56 million people are in a vulnerable condition to trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean. Girls and women are the most affected: in Central America and the Caribbean they represent 61% of the victims, and in South America they constitute 87% of the victims of sexual exploitation detected, while in the case of labour exploitation, women account for almost half of the victims.

In terms of sexual and labor exploitation, the countries with the highest prevalence include Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. In addition, the phenomenon is linked to factors such as poverty, gender violence, and forced migration, with a high number of women and girls being recruited with fraudulent job offers on social networks.

Overall, trafficking is seen to affect women and girls disproportionately, and most of the identified victims come from vulnerable contexts. It is crucial to strengthen prevention and protection policies in the region to address this phenomenon in a comprehensive manner.
In Central and South America, human and migrant traffickers are often part of organized crime networks, operating as intermediaries that facilitate border crossings through land and sea routes. These groups range from local individuals working as “coyotes” to transnational organizations with political connections and resources to falsify documents. Traffickers in the region exploit people in vulnerable situations, such as migrants fleeing poverty, violence, conflict, and lack of economic opportunities.
The motivations of human traffickers vary, but they generally focus on financial gain. Human trafficking in Central and South America is often linked to sexual exploitation, forced labor, and in some cases, illicit activities such as organ sales. Traffickers seek to attract people who wish to migrate in search of a better life, taking advantage of their desperation and offering them “solutions” that involve illegally crossing dangerous borders or paying for fraudulent visas.

In addition, trafficking routes in the region are controlled by groups that take advantage of the unstable geopolitical situation in many countries. For example, in the case of Central America, the corridor that connects the Northern Triangle (Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala) with Mexico is one of the main areas of operation, where thousands of migrants face significant abuses and risks, such as kidnappings and murders by criminal groups.

In South America, human trafficking also occurs in contexts of labor exploitation, especially in sectors such as mining and agriculture, where traffickers recruit people from rural areas to work in semi-slave-like conditions. The main victims are usually women and children, and recruitment is often carried out under false pretenses, with promises of legitimate jobs or better opportunities.
In conclusion, human trafficking in the region is supported by a complex network of intermediaries and criminal organizations that take advantage of vulnerable conditions and the lack of border control. Corruption and impunity facilitate the continuation of these activities, making combating trafficking a significant challenge on both continents.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, human trafficking and human trafficking generate multimillion-dollar profits for criminal groups. Globally, human trafficking is estimated to move around 32 billion dollars annually, making it the second most lucrative crime after drug trafficking. Depending on the route and the profile of the victim, traffickers can earn between $4,000 and $50,000 per person, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
In Mexico, criminal gangs such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Gulf Cartel charge between $4,000 and $10,000 per migrant, depending on their origin and the dangers of the journey to the United States. In 2019, it was estimated that migrant trafficking generated profits of $615 million for these organizations in Mexican territory alone.
In other countries in the region, such as Bolivia, intermediaries can charge up to $30,000 for a minor trafficked for illegal adoptions. Prostitution and sexual exploitation of minors in Brazil involves some 500,000 girls and adolescents, many of whom are abused in mining regions of the Amazon. In Colombia, more than 14,000 minors have been recruited by armed groups, making these practices sources of income for paramilitary organizations.
Efforts by governments and international organizations to combat human trafficking in Latin America have advanced in recent years, but challenges remain. In 2023, initiatives such as the Turquesa project, coordinated by INTERPOL and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), have helped identify thousands of victims and led to the arrest of approximately 800 traffickers in the region. This project seeks to strengthen cooperation between investigative agencies and provide training to prosecutors and law enforcement to dismantle organized crime networks in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Despite these advances, convictions for human trafficking have decreased alarmingly in the region, with a 27% reduction in 2020, suggesting the need for more effective policies and stronger cross-border cooperation. International operations, such as the "Operation WEKA II" coordinated by INTERPOL, mobilized 44 countries and rescued almost 700 victims of human trafficking, in addition to arresting 300 alleged perpetrators at different transit and exploitation points in the Americas.

Although governments and international organizations have made significant progress in terms of rescuing and supporting victims, the punishment of traffickers is still inconsistent, and criminal sanctions vary significantly from one country to another. On the other hand, traffickers make billions of dollars annually, using the profits to expand their networks and refine their methods of recruitment and exploitation, making the work of the authorities more difficult.

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