AMERICA/PERU - "Gold fever" increases human trafficking and sexual exploitation

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Lima (Agenzia Fides) - "Childhood is a treasure that is worth much more than gold karat" is the title of the campaign promoted by the NGO Anesvad to denounce the reality in which people live in the Peruvian region of Madre de Dios, exploited illegally by criminal organizations which in this mining area involve more than 25% of children and adolescents between 14 and 17 years of age. Many people have migrated to the region, attracted by economic gain derived from the extraction of the mineral which in the last decade has had a huge rise in the price on the international markets and sparked this "gold fever".
According to the NGO, committed in cooperation projects for development in 18 Countries in the three poorest continents in the world (Africa, Latin America and Asia), the phenomenon of illegal mining has caused havoc in the mining area and has increased labor exploitation, prostitution, sexually transmitted diseases and alcoholism. Without neglecting the increase in pollution and deforestation of the area of the Amazon rainforest of Peru, where it is estimated that over 40,000 hectares have already disappeared. In recent years the population of Madre de Dios has increased by 400%. The campaign, and the web page www.dinoalatrata.org denounces the systematic violation of human rights and promotes the collection of funds to support prevention programs and health care for the victims. Human trafficking generates a revenue of $ 32 million per year, and is the third most lucrative illegal activity in the world after the sale of arms and drug trafficking. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 23/09/2014)


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