U.S. Department of State 2006 Trafficking in Persons Report - Bolivia

Bolivia (Tier 2 Watch List)

Bolivia is a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation. Victims are primarily trafficked within the country, but a significant number are also trafficked to neighboring South American countries and to Spain. Many victims are minors trafficked internally for sexual exploitation, forced mining, and agricultural labor. Bolivian workers have been trafficked to sweatshops in Argentina and Brazil, and to Chile for involuntary servitude. Illegal migrants from Asia transit Bolivia; 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. The government made clear progress in several key areas over the last year and, as a result, moved up from Tier 3. Bolivia is placed on Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in the areas of trafficking prosecutions and victim protection. Nevertheless, during the reporting period, government officials demonstrated increased resolve to combat trafficking and a heightened understanding of the problem. The government enacted anti-trafficking laws, raised public awareness, and increased trafficking investigations. The government should intensify efforts to investigate and prosecute traffickers, work with NGOs and local governments to raise public awareness, and increase victim assistance.

Prosecution

The Government of Bolivia made modest but increasing efforts to strengthen and enforce laws against trafficking during the reporting period. It enacted penal code reforms against commercial sexual exploitation of minors and criminalized all forms of trafficking, setting trafficking penalties of eight to 12 years' imprisonment. Special anti-trafficking police and prosecutor units in La Paz investigated 25 new cases against traffickers from June to December 2005, prosecuted seven, and obtained one conviction. Law enforcement used statutes against trafficking, corruption of minors, kidnapping, and pimping pending enactment of the new anti-trafficking legislation. The government also established anti-trafficking police units in the cities of Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. Authorities relied on outside sources to provide anti-trafficking training for police, prosecutors, and judges. A severe lack of resources hampered the government's ability to combat trafficking more effectively. Corruption, otherwise endemic in Bolivia, was not identified as a major factor in trafficking; there were no reports of officials involved in trafficking.

Protection

The government slightly increased protection efforts during the reporting year, but services were inadequate overall and unavailable to many trafficking victims. Severely limited funding for social welfare programs resulted in the absence of government operated or supported shelters for trafficking victims. The government relied upon municipal authorities to furnish legal services, emergency shelter, counseling, and health care to trafficking victims. The city of La Paz opened an emergency shelter and a local hotline that served hundreds of victims of abuse and commercial sexual exploitation. Law enforcement referred victims to the emergency shelter or NGOs for assistance. Family Protection Brigade Units in cities like Cochabamba provided short-term care and shelter to some trafficking victims; such units were constrained by an acute lack of resources.

Prevention

The government made limited progress in trafficking prevention activities during the reporting period. National leaders, including acting President Rodriguez, spoke out against trafficking. They also created an inter-ministerial commission to coordinate anti-trafficking policies and worked with municipal authorities and schools to increase public awareness of the dangers of trafficking. Most prevention activities were left to NGOs and international organizations.