Sex trafficking in Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago
When people are forced to flee their homes, they are at greater risk of exploitation. Human trafficking has been a persistent problem in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, the continuing exodus of Venezuelans the largest in recent history in the Western Hemisphere demands urgent and increased attention to human trafficking prevention and responses trafficking rings operating between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago have revealed the extent to which Venezuelan women and minors are being continually smuggled to the island nation from critical hubs — along with the grave conditions they face both in transit and upon arrival.
Last month, authorities in Venezuela made their latest attempt to target trafficking networks working between the nation and its island neighbor, disbanding a ring dedicated to sending victims to Trinidad and Tobago where they would be sexually exploited. Human trafficking between Venezuela and its island neighbor typically consists of three stages: recruitment, transportation, and exploitation. Critical hubs in both countries are used to facilitate each stage of the process. The first one is
First stage: Recruitment
Kidnappings fueling human trafficking between Venezuela and its island neighbor have been carried out in Delta Amacuro, according to a 2020 report Pierre’s report claimed Robert Alcalá, national assembly deputy for the state of Sucre, had warned military officials and organized crime groups were allegedly working together to kidnap victims in Delta Amacuro’s municipality of Tucupita before selling them on to Trinidad and Tobago.
The study also revealed a staggering 43 percent of those trafficked from Venezuela to Trinidad and Tobago travel from Sucre. Traffickers in the state often focus on recruiting teenage girls along the coast. After speaking with a range of government officials and residents, Insight Crime was able to confirm that victims from beyond coastal hotspots had been targeted. Women and minors from states far and wide – including Venezuela’s capital district, Anzoátegui, Monagas, and Lara – have reportedly ended up working in Trinidad and Tobago’s illegal sex trade.
in some cases, “young intermediaries” based in Delta Amacuro may encourage girls to leave for the Caribbean country. According to Moreno, those targeted are typically given a telephone number and told they must wait in Tucupita’s Bolivar Square at a specific time, before being taken to Trinidad and Tobago.
Second stage: Transportation
Despite borders being closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the Organization of American States (OAS) reported the outflow of Venezuelans to Trinidad and Tobago had continued through irregular, and often life-threatening, means. Migrants illegally traveling to the nation on a voluntary basis have been known to fall into the hands of human trafficking rings while at sea. At the transportation stage, states located closest to Trinidad and Tobago are again the main players.
OAS General Secretariat Commissioner for the Crisis of Venezuelan Migrants and Refugees, David Smolansky, revealed at least 4,000 women had been trafficked Others have sailed from the town of Irapa in the municipality of Mariño, which is 40 kilometers from Güiria. According to Mark Bassant, a journalist at Guardian Media Limited, Irapa is a strategic place for the trade.Tucupita, in Delta Amacuro, is another major hub from which criminal gangs organize the transfer of women, Bassant revealed. municipalities of Casacoima and Antonia Diaz often travel directly to Trinidad and Tobago via river routes.
Third stage: Exploitation
Insight Crime also learned from a local media source based in Trinidad and Tobago that traffickers have made deals with private beach owners to facilitate their illicit operations. While the source was unable to provide the names of specific beaches, they added that there are taxis contracted by boat owners waiting at the coast to transfer women arriving from Venezuela to bars that are at least one hour away. Some stay in the south while others head to the central region — many to the borough of Chaguanas, where demand thrives.
On the other hand, some victims find that Trinidad and Tobago is not their final destination. Pierre told Insight Crime that women and minors trafficked from Venezuela may stay in the island nation for weeks or months before being shipped as far as Eastern Europe, North Africa, and Spain. Bassant confirmed victims may also be sent to other countries in the Caribbean, such as the Dominican Republic, Grenada, and Antigua, to be exploited once again.Now the big question is rescued on the way?
In its most recent Trafficking in-person report assessing the island nation, the US State Department found just 34 victims of human trafficking had been identified during its reporting period between 2019 and 2020. All but one of the victims was Venezuelan nationals. The report shared how Trinidad and Tobago’s government provides victim care services together with NGOs, including accommodation, counseling, legal aid, consular services, medical and psychological services, reintegration for domestic victims, and relocation for foreigners.
However, it warned that, following police raids of venues associated with the illicit sex trade, authorities have been known to detain foreign victims for violating immigration laws, in some cases without screening for trafficking indicators. Even when unlawful acts associated with the sex trade have occurred as a result of trafficking, victims, rather than traffickers, have been punished. After a raid in late 2019, victims were sent to immigration detention centers or deported directly back to Venezuela
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