While going through Colombia Reports' stats, I found a lot of incoming traffic from internationalsexguide.info, a forum for those who enjoy traveling to see their sexual needs fulfilled (for cheap). It seems there is an increasing concern among sex tourists about visiting Medellin because it's so dangerous.
There's no denying that Colombia, and especially Medellin, has a security problem. After all, this is a country that's been at war for the past 45 years and produces most of the cocaine that's being snorted by those that can afford it in the U.S. and Europe. It's no more than logic that war and drug gangs are causing security issues.
Thanks to President Alvaro Uribe's 'Democratic Security' Policy the situation inside cities and in tourist areas has become relatively safe over the past few years, resulting in a very welcome rise in tourism.
Unfortunately, Medellin, but also Bogota and Cali, saw a surge in crime recently.
So far, the violence has been confined to the rural areas of Colombia and in the case of Medellin, to the poor neighborhoods and to a lesser extent downtown. It has not even come close to the tourist areas or the middle class suburbs and is still nothing, compared to the violence Colombians endured in the 1990's and early 2000's.
Among those attending internationalsexguide.info there is an increasing panic about this increase in crime though, especially after a French citizen was found murdered in Bello, just north of the city. Reports from CR and personal observations fuel the fear.
"One of our guests a few months back witnessed a guy being shot the bottom side of Parque Poblado. Also three guys including a police officer being shot at a bank hold
up not far from the Mansion, we went down and had a coffee at Juan
Valdes and watched the guys being loaded into the ambulances," 'Aussie Greg' wrote to add fuel to the fire.
'Jazzplayer', one of the regular members of the sex forum, advices his
fellow sex tourists to choose Cartagena over Medellin, because of the
safety.
One of the members of the board, wisely notes that "the effects of the Global Recession are beginning to take its toll on Colombia. Jobs in Colombia are dwindling, especially Medellin are dwindling. Colombia's GDP is decreasing. Colombians are desperate, therefore-to obtain funding to take care of their basic necessities-criminal acts are increasing,"
What this particular sex tourist seems to forget is that the same poverty that fuels crime, also fuels prostitution. Both the drug trade and prostitution are illegal ways to obtains income and both are caused by misery and cause more misery.
The Uribe administration may have been able to tackle the insecurity in tourist areas, but has not done much to tackle poverty, resulting in a continuous influx of new guerrillas, gangsters and prostitutes in Colombia's illegal economy and war.
The poverty of a country does not only force young men into crime. The same poverty forces young women and underage girls into prostitution. The more poverty, the more violence and the cheaper the prostitution.
Most people residing or visiting Colombia know very well that Colombia has lost none of its beauty. They know that despite the rise in trouble the Colombian culture continues to florish and that the people are as warm as always.
Those who think with their brains and have a compassion for the Colombian people are concerned about the quality of life and the safety of those Colombians living in the rural areas and poor neighborhoods that are being affected by the violence.
But I suppose that those who think with their dick will never be able to appreciate the real beauty or comprehend the complexity of a country.
I am sorry that, by reading our news, having your little friend sucked for 25 thousand pesos by a girl who is trying to stay alive and feed her family isn't as much fun as it was two years ago.
Author Adriaan Alsema is editor-in-chief of Colombia Reports
Adriaan Alsema (author)
said:
 |
... As I was pointed out by members of internationalsexguide.info, prostitution is not illegal in Colombia. I was wrong on that one. |
joshhyman
said:
 |
... Underage prostitution should be illegal in Colombia if it is not already and any tourist who goes to Colombia for this kind of perverted act deserves whatever he gets from the dangerous criminal world he entered. |
tomtom33
said:
|
... Prostitution is illegal with anyone under 18. And there seem to be some attempts to enforce that. Sex tourism in Colombia has very little to do with any underage people. Of course some sex tourists do this kind of thing. But the big problem lies with the native population. Thanks for your correction, Adriaan. If Colombian wants to end sex tourism, they simply need to make prostitution illegal. |
Camila Parra
said:
|
... AI know that marriage agencies for Americans are sex tourism too, the girls say and the clients that most of them are big daddy’s. Those woman asks them for money or ask for send them money from us, some may end up getting ripped of for thousands of $, some wants gifts, jewelry, go to expensive restaurants or clubs, travel for free, dressings, money for a new house, them may even get engaged to americans just to cheat them out of money! Some take money from their wallet when they are sleeping, or do things like that. |
Camila Parra
said:
|
... I know some of them have a Colombian Boyfriend like 30 or 35 years old and are dating Americans like 50 to 80 years old, with their own boyfriends have a long relationship, and are dating Americans and another kind of foreigners, only for their money or live that kind of things that they can't live with their boyfriend, because he have a low budget or income. Some Americans never notice it because they return to US, them continue living with their boyfriends or another Americans. This is very sad and bad too, but not all Colombian women are in this way. And in the way I noticed too that some Americans are looking here sex tourism, or a sex company in their travels, I know some Americans that are trying to get married here for 15 years, 15 years, I don’t know if he really wants to marry, and they continue keep trying, dating weekly different colombian ladies, but in these case the Colombian girl are loosing their hopes to get married. I’d never seen an American that is married with a good Colombian girl or woman, or as a girlfriend ( I Don't want to be offensive, If this is your case only think it, or notice it, or you cold be the exception to rule ).Only I saw that in the cases that Colombian girl go and make them residents in US and later meet and much later are married with Americans. |
Camila Parra
said:
|
... I only watch this in the movie “el matrimonio del gringo” is a very good movie, and the characters have good positions, and are young and good looking. This girls that I have seen on the different marriage agencies are women over 40 or if are younger, normally 20 to 35. Are women that don’t have or go to college or university, or if they have it (Here in Colombia is very easy to study, there are a lot of universities that are economical), they have a low profile career, or/and are people who lives in stratum 1, 2, 3. I’d never seen before girl’s stratum 5 or 6 dating Americans in this way, if they did it, they meet Americans when they when studding English or living in US, or in their travels. Another comedy movie is "Un Rey en La Habana" who tells the story about an beautiful Cuban girl who get married whit an Spaniard, and in the wedding night the Spaniard guy dies, they go to Spain to search his fortune and they discovered that her husband was going to make her work in Spain like a prostitute. |
lampltr
said:
|
... As Adrian pointed out; "The poverty of a country does not only force young men into crime. The same poverty forces young women and underage girls into prostitution. The more poverty, the more violence and the cheaper the prostitution. I am sorry that, by reading our news, having your little friend sucked for 25 thousand pesos by a girl who is trying to stay alive and feed her family isn't as much fun as it was two years ago." Hang the tourist who those who exploit & know better, leave the laws and locals alone...they are trying to survive and provide food & little income to their families. Who are we to impose our beliefs on them without tackling the real global issue...pisses me off to no end! Is no wonder why some get into the crime/drug/prostitution trade, need to survive as the world Governments will not do anything!  |
koz
said:
|
... I missed this one Adriaan. Good for you. Though I would not want my daughter to be selling her body, one truly has to feel for those who are so dire, living in a country with few opportunities. The focus has to be put on education as a path to a better life. Colombia is making steady progress toward that end and things are changing - but it takes time. In the meantime, child prostitution should be strictly enforced and those offenders (johns and pimps) should spend hard time in jail and doing community work. They are the menace, not the girls. The problem wouldn't exist if there weren't perverted customers who couldn't "get it" any other way than to pay for it. This poor girls are simply trying to survive in a country where it can be difficult. As I tell a friend of mine who was pick-pocketed a "puta", "be glad she has gotten a chance to feed her kids, and if you are not going to buy, don't waste their time stopping and talking". - They are trying to make a living or even to pay their tuition. |
