Prostitution in Colombia is legal, regulated and limited to brothels in designated "tolerance zones". Domestically, organized crime networks, some related to illegal armed groups, are responsible for human trafficking for sexual slavery and the armed conflict has made a large number of internal trafficking victims vulnerable. A series of factors put children at risk for sexual exploitation in Colombia and leave them unprotected. The war and the drug trade have altered family structures that in ordinary times would have provided safety and nurture.
The war has also caused the displacement of countless families, some of whose children have been soldiers in the war. Displaced children are particularly vulnerable to being forced into prostitution, even more so in the declining economy. He also said that the children were often addicted to drugs. Commercial sexual exploitation of children is found especially in urban centers and in areas where there are large numbers of men who are separated from families due to work.
Children are involved in commercial sexual exploitation either on the streets or in private establishments such as bars, brothels, or massage parlors. The culture of violence in Colombia had created a feeling of fear and resignation among the population; the violence had led to child prostitution and child gangs which added to the worsening situation of violence. Colombia also is a destination for foreign child sex tourists , particularly coastal cities such as Cartagena and Barranquilla.
Colombia is a major source country for women and girls trafficked to Latin America , the Caribbean , Western Europe , Asia , and North America , including the United States , for purposes of commercial sexual exploitation. Internally, women and children are trafficked from rural to urban areas for commercial sexual exploitation.
Continued armed violence in Colombia has displaced many communities, making them vulnerable to human trafficking. Groups at high risk for internal trafficking include displaced persons, poor women in rural areas, and relatives of members of criminal organizations. Members of gangs and organized criminal networks force their relatives and acquaintances, and displaced personsβtypically women and childrenβinto conditions of forced prostitution.
