U.S. Department of State 2004 Trafficking in Persons Report - Bolivia

Bolivia (Tier 2 Watch List)

Bolivia is a source country for men, women and children trafficked for labor and sexual exploitation to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, the United States, and Western Europe. Widespread poverty, political instability, and cultural factors force thousands of Bolivians to work in sub-standard circumstances or illegally migrate, placing large numbers at risk of being trafficked. Bolivian children are particularly vulnerable. Children are trafficked from rural to urban areas, including for sexual exploitation. The Bolivian-Brazilian border is also an area of commercial sexual exploitation. Bolivia is a transit country for illegal migrants from outside the region; some may be trafficking victims.

The Government of Bolivia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. These efforts are hindered by limited resources and a prolonged political and economic crisis. Bolivian leaders should work to enhance public awareness and display national commitment on trafficking. Bolivia needs to focus police and prosecutorial officials to implement comprehensive law enforcement against traffickers.

Legislation that outlaws the trafficking of children is pending in Congress. The government should continue targeting for removal corrupt officials who may be involved in trafficking. The appointment of a government anti-trafficking coordinator would represent further concrete progress in the government's effort to combat trafficking. Because of the magnitude of the problem it faces and the expectation that the government can do more, Bolivia is placed on Tier 2 Watch List.

Prosecution

The government has no anti-trafficking law enforcement strategy or policy direction from senior officials. The government keeps no official statistics on trafficking, but made scores of narcotics-trafficking arrests (some of which had a trafficking component) and a number of arrests under the "corruption of youth" law. While officials have arrested and prosecuted migrant smugglers, some observers suggest they have rarely targeted those with explicit trafficking links.

Authorities have rarely if ever used an existing 1999 statute that penalizes trafficking in women. Corrupt officials who facilitate cross-border trafficking remain a concern.

Protection

Political and economic crises undermine the government's ability to implement a comprehensive strategy to assist victims. Child welfare programs supported by the national and municipal governments and by local and international NGOs provide limited help to persons in need, but there is no available data on the number of trafficking victims assisted. A small number of officials have received training on identifying the patterns and characteristics of trafficking, including the identification of victims. Officials have brought to the attention of the Governments of Chile, Peru, and Argentina situations of Bolivians being trafficked in those countries. Bolivia has also begun to make similar efforts with governments in Western Europe and in Brazil.

Prevention

Senior government officials in 2003 expressed a commitment to undertake anti-trafficking measures, such as tightening immigration controls and ensuring that children have identity documents, but a lack of resources has hampered these efforts. Bolivia's current inter-agency working group coordinates long-term policy on child trafficking and child welfare issues (particularly the worst forms of child labor), but it lacks the resources to produce concrete results. Resource constraints have compelled the government to seek program funding from international donors.