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More than 120,000 people in Colombia subject to slavery: Study

by Adriaan Alsema

More than 120,000 people in Colombia are employed under circumstances that constitute slavery, a global report on slavery released Thursday said.

Slaves in South America

  1. Peru (78,000 – 86,000)
  2. Suriname (1,500 – 1,600)
  3. Ecuador (42,000 – 46,000)
  4. Uruguay (9,500 – 10,000)
  5. Colombia (120,000 – 140,000)
  6. Paraguay (19,000 – 21,000)
  7. Venezuela (76,000 – 84,000)
  8. Bolivia (28,000 – 31,000)
  9. Guyana (2,200 – 2,400)
  10. Chile (36,000 – 40,000)
  11. Brazil (200,000 – 220,000)
  12. Argentina (34,000 – 37,000)

According to the Global Slavery Index of the Walk Free Foundation, Colombia occupies the 73rd spot in the ranking which is mostly dominated by countries from Asia, Africa and eastern Europe.

The index studied the prevalence of slavery in 162 countries across the globe based on estimated on modern slavery, figures on child marriage and human trafficking.

Within Latin America, Colombia is the fifth country where slavery is most prevalent. The Andean country is topped by Peru, Suriname, Ecuador and Uruguay.

The investigators estimate the number of slaves in Colombia to lie between 120,000 and 140,000.

Worldwide, the study estimates that little less than 30 million people are subjected to forced labor or sexual exploitation.

Sources