Bringing the Unseen to Light: ILO Hosts Film & Discussion Event to Raise Awareness about Child Trafficking in Peru

Lima - As part of the “Peru No Trata” (Peru Does Not Tolerate Trafficking) campaign, an event was held to mark the National Day against Trafficking in Persons. The event was a film & discussion titled “Child Trafficking in Peru”, which showcased the Peruvian film La Pampa.

The film tells the story of Reina, a teenager who was sexually exploited in an illegal mining camp in the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian jungle. Directed by Dorian Fernández, the film sheds light on the abuses suffered by victims of trafficking in our country.

The event, aimed at raising awareness among the public about the situation of this crime in Perú and strengthening the commitment of justice operators to combat trafficking, was organized by the ILO in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior (MININTER), the Public Ministry, the Judiciary, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The event was inaugurated by the Director of the ILO Office for the Andean Countries, Italo Cardona, who reminded the audience that "trafficking in persons is one of the most serious violations of human rights and human dignity worldwide." He emphasized the importance of information and awareness spaces because "social tolerance and silence make it much more difficult to identify victims".

“The persistence of trafficking and forced labor continues to stop thousands of people from finding decent living conditions and decent work, and it is incompatible with social justice

Italo Cardona, Director of the ILO Office for the Andean Countries

Moderated by Elizabeth Salazar, an investigative journalist specializing in gender and human rights, the panel of commentators included Rocío Gala, Senior Prosecutor and National Coordinator of Specialized Prosecution Offices for Trafficking in Persons; Iván Guerrero, Supreme Court Judge and member of the Special Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice; and Ana Sierra, an American specialist in trauma and victim care.

According to official statistics from the Public Ministry, between January and June of this year, more than 600 people reported being victims of trafficking in Peru. Additionally, data from the Ministry of the Interior's Observatory on Trafficking in Persons revealed that 85% of reported victims since 2017 are women, and one-third of the total number of victims are children.

Iván Guerrero pointed out that one possible explanation for this inequality lies in a social structure marked by systemic violence against women and girls. He stated, "Clients, usually male, are often part of the trafficking network, especially in cases involving sexual exploitation."

Rocío Gala explained that there is no single profile for trafficking victims, and many of them do not even see themselves as victims. These people are vulnerable due to factors such as abandonment, drug use, sexual abuse, poverty, or extreme poverty. She emphasized the importance of preventing survivors of trafficking from being taken back into the cycle of exploitation.

The impact of trauma on trafficking victims is significant, often leading to various psychological issues. Ana Sierra stressed that survivors require comprehensive mental health care to move forward.

At the end of the event, Aissa Tejada, Director General of Democratic Security at the Ministry of Interior, reaffirmed her sector's commitment to the National Policy against Trafficking in Persons and its forms of exploitation by 2030. She stated, "The Policy provides us with a route to collaborate effectively and prioritize our efforts."

To combat this crime and promote social justice, including decent work and inclusive growth in Peru, partnerships are crucial. In 2017, the governments of Peru and the United States signed a cooperation agreement to fight child trafficking. The ILO has been working alongside the Peruvian government and its criminal justice system to achieve these goals through the project Partnerships in Action to End Child Trafficking in Peru.