The use of characteristic landmarks as locations for pornographic videos is provoking fury among citizens in Colombia who claimed on Wednesday that their cultural heritage is being soiled.
Two videos, at least one produced by porn giant Bangbros, have gone viral that feature couples having intercourse in popular tourist locations such as the Guatape dam Medellin’s botanic gardens.
Guatape Mayor Mauricio Hernandez condemned the surreptitious use of public spaces on radio station Blu and rejected that the porn crew had filmed without asking permission from the local government and with a small camera evading being spotted by authorities.
Most of the explicit material filmed in the porn flick was filmed on private properties in and around the iconic tourist destination.
Clashes with traditional Catholic values
Nevertheless, “we are very concerned that our decent image of a traditional conservative Catholic town is becoming blurred,” the mayor said.
Hernandez then stressed that the community are outraged by this situation as these sites are traditionally associated with family holidays. “We do not want to be primarily known for pornography – but for our landscape instead. We wish to be known for our colourful stones, reservoir architecture, quality people and relaxed atmosphere.”
One of the most enraging aspects of the videos, according to the mayor, is that “there are people that did not know they were taking part in the film.”
This presents an inaccurate image of the people in contrast to the efforts made to avoid sex tourism – in this eastern Antioquian town where brothels and stripper shows have allegedly been banned while deemed legal by Colombian law.
Locals urge for police action
Wilson Jimenez, a representative of Guatape’s local public broadcaster told newspaper El Tiempo that “many people ask ‘why hasn’t anything been done? How can you control or prevent this from happening again?’ Although the pornographic scenes were not recorded on any street but in private spaces, it adversely affects the image of Guatape to the world so please do not replicate,” Jimenez urged.
Although preparation for a lawsuit against the film makers is underway, the Antioquia state government told El Tiempo that police authorities can only intervene if the sex scenes are being filmed in public spaces, not when on private property.
Bangbros have previously caused upheaval in Colombia, once when filming an entire porn video in the Cali soccer stadium and another time inside a fire station in the north of the country.