Introduction
Human trafficking is the act of subjecting men, women, and children to forced service for exploitation. Human trafficking involves exploitation for sex trafficking, forced labor, and using child soldiers. It is a form of modern-day slavery as the victims are forced to do things against their will, and they have no option because they are threatened or beaten. Human trafficking is the leading criminal syndicate in the world after drug and weapons smuggling. The numbers globally of human trafficking cases are very high that it is estimated approximately 800,000 people are trafficked annually.
Trafficking with the intent of sexual exploitation is the most rampant, as shown by a study conducted by the United Nations Office on drugs and campaigns. The UN body found out that 55 percent of the cases were subjected to sexual exploitation while 38 percent were forced into labor ( Cockbain & Bowers, 2019) . In Latin America, regions that encompass the western Hemisphere, cases of human trafficking are so much higher, ranking the third in the world for human trafficking cases. Mexico and Colombia are examples of countries in Latin America that have the highest number of human trafficking ( Langberg, 2005) . Activism is the act of enacting policies and campaigns to bring out a political or social change. Several activists group are spearheading the fight against human trafficking in Latin America to save the victims or put an end to it. This essay will look into the activism efforts in Latin America and how they are planning to stop it, and some of the challenges activists face.
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Background of Human Trafficking in Latin America.
In Latin America, Human trafficking cases are so high, and most victims are trafficked for sexual exploitation. Labor trafficking accounts for approximately 10 percent of the cases, with most of the victims being taken to Mexico to work as agricultural laborers. Trafficking in Latin America was first acknowledged In 1928 by the league of nations. The year 2000 was when human trafficking gained the limelight when the United States government passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act that aimed to protect human trafficking victims in the United States and South America. The International Labor Organization estimates that human trafficking generates up to 12 billion USD in illegal revenue in Latin America. In Latin America, human trafficking can be grouped into two according to their nature. The first is internal trafficking that mainly involves the trafficking of persons from rural to urban areas in the same country. In contrast, the second one is international trafficking that consists of the trafficking of victims from one country to another.
Countries in Latin America are more vulnerable to Human trafficking because most of them have faced armed conflict, political instability. The financial crisis and even natural disasters. A good example is the Colombian civil war and the devastating earthquake that happened in Haiti that rendered millions of children orphans making them susceptible to Human trafficking. Human trafficking and Human smuggling do not mean the same thing; Human smuggling is when people pay smugglers some agreed amount of money for them to be illegally taken to a particular country. Human smuggling is also common in Latin America as most are trying to get their way into the United States of America via illegal means. Illegal immigration also serves as a loophole for human traffickers to conduct their criminal behaviors. Latin America also is a transit point for Human trafficking victims from Asia and Europe waiting to be trafficked into the United States of America.
Contributing Factors to Human trafficking in Latin America.
To understand how activism aims to combat Human trafficking cases in Latin America, factors that lead to the rampant cases of Human trafficking must be looked into. These contributing factors can be grouped into two; namely, individual factors and external factors. Individual factors include personal insecurities and problems a person faces that make him or her vulnerable to human trafficking. Most victims of human trafficking usually live in impoverish poverty, surviving on basic needs. Poverty makes the victims easy prey for the perpetrators as the promise of a better life makes the victims desperate. Traffickers usually coax the victims promising them jobs and a better life. Unemployment is also an individual factor that scales up human trafficking cases; most victims are promised jobs abroad by the traffickers, but tricking the captors forces them into servitude. Drug abuse also increases the chances of being abducted or forced into modern slavery. Traffickers prey on drug addicts, luring them with more drugs to take advantage of them for their gain.
External factors include aspects that the victims have no control. There is a high global demand for sex workers and domestic workers in Latin America, and this ready market motivates the traffickers to get more victims for a larger profit. The economic crisis is also a contributing factor to human traffickings, like in Guatemala, human trafficking cases are high because of the poor living standards present in the country because of economic crisis. Traffickers are usually well established and organized with superior trafficking networks and recruitment strategies. This enables them to manage their trafficking operations with ease and professionalism. Traffickers and border patrol agents have some agreements to enable the traffickers to get past the border with their victims. This laxity at the border makes it easier for the traffickers to move their victims through various countries located in Latin America.
Activism Against Human Trafficking
Activism plays an important role in trying to stop or prevent cases of human trafficking in Latin America. Since human trafficking is a violation of human rights, several human rights watchdogs both present in Latin America and outside are working tirelessly to bring this barbaric vice to an end. Forms of activisms or methods that activists may use to bring a change or stop something include; mass sensitization, boycotts, education, holding public campaigns, and rescue operations. The United Nations is the most significant organization lobbying against human trafficking in the world. Still, there are other small non-governmental organizations located in Latin America trying to stem out this vice. Discussed below are some of the activist organizations working to stop Human trafficking in Latin America.
The Exodus road
The exodus road is an American organization formed in 2013; its headquarters is located in Colorado in the United States. It is an example of a transnational activist group. The organization claims to rescue human trafficking victims by working with the police in these Latin American countries. The organization works to raid sex trafficking dens by sending volunteers who pose as clients to solicit information from this den. The organization then alerts the police who come and arrest perpetrators running the sex trafficking operations. The Exodus road aims to educate locals about human trafficking and how to prevent themselves from being trafficked by informing them of the various tactics the traffickers use. The exodus road also provides shelter and counseling to victims rescued from Human trafficking, especially young girls who were forced into sex slavery. The experience is always traumatizing for the victims, and post-trauma counseling is necessary to reduce the stress levels of the victims. The exodus road also offers rehabilitation to the victims who are hooked on drugs. Some Human traffickers always keep their victims on drugs for easy manipulation and get them addicted to substance abuse; therefore, the exodus road also rescued victims avoid drugs.
Fundacion Renacer
Fundacion Renacer, also known as the rebirth foundation, is a human rights activists group based in Colombia established in 1988 to address child trafficking in children in Colombia. The organization also addresses the issue of sexual exploitation. The organization has locations in Cartagena and Bogotá. Cartagena in Colombia is a hotspot for traffickers who recruit teenage girls into prostitution forcefully since of the ready market offered by tourists who visit the place. The place has well-coordinated cartels who run the sex trade, profiting mainly at the expense of little girls.
The rebirth foundation's mission is to make an impact in stopping the sexual exploitation of teenage boys and girls. Fundacion Renacer protects victims rescued from trafficking rings by providing therapy to the victims of sexual exploitation through their rescue centers located in Cartagena. The organization also provides legal support for child victims of sexual trafficking by providing them with the right to take legal action against the traffickers to be held accountable and brought to justice.
This organization also provides institutional support by training governors and other government officials in Colombia with strategies to provide care to children rescued from trafficking. Renacer also carries out virtual training to members of the private sector, especially the hotel industries in Cartagena, to identify children undergoing sexual exploitation and notify the authorities. The rebirth foundation also accompanies local police when they are busting these trafficking syndicates. The Community can be the key to fight trafficking in children, so Renacer offers training and empowerment to the Community to form networks that allow for the protection of children and teenagers.
Fundación Alas de Colibrí
Fundación Alas de Colibrí is a non-profit human rights activist group in Ecuador, a Latin American country. The foundation was formed in 2012 as a human rights group especially focusing on Human trafficking cases. The Alas de Colibri formulated a project called the Comprehensive Anti-Trafficking Project. This project works in three ways; namely, Institutional shelter, Prevention, and Awareness. Alas, de Colibri foundation offers shelter to teenagers aged from 12 to 17 victims of trafficking through a temporary accommodation project called the Nido project. The teenagers receive basic needs such as medicine, food, shelter, and education during their stay in foster care.
Prevention is another primary goal this organization aims to achieve. The organization seeks to prevent human trafficking by offering prevention tools to families; therefore, the families can protect their children against solicitation by human traffickers who use cunning ways to lure teenage victims into servitude. Creating awareness is a major strategy Alas de Colibri foundation is trying to achieve in the fight against human trafficking in Ecuador. This organization raises awareness by using social media platforms to conduct sensitization campaigns to educate the masses on the threat adolescents face concerning trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Alas de Colibri is working tirelessly with the national government of Ecuador to create amicable solutions that will see an end to child trafficking, especially for sexual exploitation.
24-hour courts
Local leaders established 24-hour courts in Guatemala to undertake legal action on human trafficking cases in the region. This justice system has partnered with the United States Agency for international development (USAID) to offer justice for women who are victims of sexual trafficking. USAID offers resources and legal support to these courts to have well-experienced judges, lawyers, and psychologists. Trafficking of women in Guatemala is so rampant that a robust justice system is needed to provide justice to the victims of these atrocious acts of trafficking. Before the introduction of the 24-hour courts, it was challenging for Women to receive the justice they deserved as the courts were always overwhelmed, and it could take lots of time before justice was served.
This justice coursed under the office of the attorney general is a big step to fighting trafficking in Guatemala as the revamped justice system will discourage offenders from trafficking as it serves as a dire warning to all the offenders in Guatemala that the long arm of the justice system will eventually catch up with them. In addition, the courts also ensure victims get the psychological help necessary to heal them from the trauma inflicted upon them by the traffickers.
CATW-LAC .
Coalition against trafficking in Women in Latin and Caribbean America is a subsidiary group of the international organization "together women rise." As recent studies have located Mexico as the hotbed of transnational trafficking, the organization's headquarters is in Mexico. Cases of trafficking in Mexico are high because of well-organized cartels who abduct victims for financial gain. Sexual exploitation is the leading root cause for trafficking in the Western Hemisphere and the government is so corrupt that human trafficking is rising day by day. This organization has expanded its base to cover 26 countries located in Latin America.
CATW-LAC formulated a red alert system that aims to acquire justice for all victims of trafficking in Latin America ( Cabezas, 2019) . The red alert project conducts extensive search and rescue programs for trafficked victims. The red project includes a detailed victim protection program by promoting and processing missing person cases due to trafficking. The organization offers legal assistance during the search of the victims and even after the victims have been found to ensure the victims and their families acquire the justice they deserve. Most victims are usually traumatized and have sustained physical injuries or acquired some disease due to the trafficking. CATW-LAC offers the desired medical support to the victims and offers psychological counseling to both the families and victims.
CATW-LAC organization also offers humanitarian assistance for families and victims of trafficking, including accommodation, food, clothes, and even travel allowance in case they are traveling to courts to seek justice. In addition, the organization provides educational and vocational training projects to the rescued victims to elevate their minds and fit into society. This organization has a website where it uploads the missing person's photo and details. After the victim has been located, the organization offers red alert notice to federal agencies who conduct rescue operations to retrieve the victim.
The Mexican Government Approach.
Governments in the Latin Countries are not trying their best to end stomp out human trafficking in their respective governments. The governments always place inefficient policies that are not effective against human trafficking, and traffickers usually find loopholes to bypass these policies ( Blanton et al., 2019) . In all of the Latin countries, Mexico registers a high number of human trafficking cases. The Mexican government does not meet the required requirements for eliminating human trafficking, but it's pouring in some efforts, especially in prosecution and protection of victims.
The Mexican government has revamped its justice system by increasing the jail term limit for sex traffickers to 30 years minimum jail term. The Mexican government in 2019 was successful in prosecuting a transnational sex trafficking syndicate, and the culprits were brought to justice. The government is also prosecuting corrupt government officials who receive bribes to let the traffickers conduct their operations without consequences; the justice system is prosecuting corrupt officials and sentencing them up to 39 years minimum prison time. The prosecution is a significant method in eliminating trafficking as it will discourage new players from entering the trafficking business. The government also aims to protect victims by identifying them and referring them to social services where they are offered food, medicine, and other basic needs they might require. The Mexican federal government also works with other non-governmental organizations to a joint effort in trying to eliminate human trafficking in the country.
Challenges facing activism on Human trafficking
The fight against human trafficking is not easy, and various challenges hinder the elimination of trafficking. Most activist groups in Latin America face financial constraints, which hinders the fight against trafficking as these organizations require adequate resources to conduct rescue and victim protection operations. Immigration is another huge challenge; most rescued victims do not remember the country they are from, especially children, and therefore it becomes difficult to locate their families. Lack of support from the local government is another challenge the non-governmental organizations face as they require support from the government, especially in locating and rescuing the victims. It's always difficult to prosecute human trafficking cases because of the victim's lack of cooperation or fear of testifying against the suspects. Although most victims fear repercussions that will happen to them if they go ahead and testify, the criminal organizations always threaten them or their families with dire consequences if they speak up.
How Activism on Human trafficking has changed over time
Digital activism is gaining popularity nowadays, and more people are trying to join the campaign against human trafficking via digital platforms. The presence of digital networks has enabled global participation in activism. Petitions are a major way of activism. In the past, petitions were carried out physically, but through technological advancements, petitions are carried out online, and people in various parts of the world are signing petitions to try and make a voice stop online trafficking. More petition sites are introduced, and this is a direct easy way of communicating with the various governments to put measures in place to stop trafficking. Activist groups are also using technology in the search and rescue of victims.
Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have revolutionized the fight against human trafficking. These sites give a platform to several individual influencers and activists who campaign and share valuable information to stop trafficking ( Gong, 2019) . Through hashtag campaigns, people can share awareness about human trafficking. Survivors of human trafficking can also share their experiences in the hands of traffickers and educate others on how to protect or prevent themselves.
My personal opinion about human trafficking is that governments have the ultimate power to stop these acts of inhumane. If the Latin American governments put in joint efforts to prevent human trafficking in their countries, it will be a massive win to activism efforts. The victims should also be offered protective custody for them to testify against the perpetrators responsible. My thoughts on this issue also are that transnational activism should carry out more campaigns to raise trafficking to the entire world as awareness is a suitable activist method to end human rights violations.
In conclusion, Activists trying to eliminate or stop human trafficking in Latin America are really working, and most organizations have been successful, especially in conducting rescue operations. However, the governments of Latin American countries should address the issues of trafficking by employing tougher legislative policies to bring the culprit to justice. Corruption amongst the government officials is rampant, and the government should hold accountable corrupt officials who encourage trafficking by taking bribes. Human trafficking is a global crisis, especially in Latin America largely promoted by the poor living standards present in the countries.
References
Blanton, R. G., Blanton, S. L., & Peksen, D. (2020). Confronting human trafficking: The role of state capacity. Conflict Management and Peace Science , 37 (4), 471-489.
Cabezas, A. L. (2019). Latin American and Caribbean Sex Workers: Gains and challenges in the movement. Anti-Trafficking Review , (12), 37-56.
Cockbain, E., & Bowers, K. (2019). Human trafficking for sex, labour and domestic servitude: how do key trafficking types compare and what are their predictors?. Crime, Law and Social Change , 72 (1), 9-34.
Gong, R. (2019). Going Viral: Online Goal Emergence and Adaptation in the Anti-human Trafficking Movement. In Communicating for Social Change (pp. 239-261). Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.
Langberg, L. (2005). A review of recent OAS research on human trafficking in the Latin American and Caribbean region. International Migration , 43 (1‐2), 129-139 .
