According to various specialized estimates, human trafficking worldwide is the
"second most profitable illegal business, over arms trafficking, bringing in estimated revenues of $32 billion annually; and 73 percent of the victims are women," affirmed members of World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO).
In the context of the first Latin American Conference on Human Trafficking, organized by WUCWO and sponsored by the Latin American Catholic Bishops Council (CELAM), [held in Mexico City,] the Bishop of Nuevo Laredo, Gustavo Rodríguez Vega, a member of the CELAM Department of Justice and Solidarity, had this warning about trafficking:
On the occasion of the meeting, Carlos Aguiar Retes, CELAM's president, said mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral. In his homily, he spoke of the importance of eradicating human trafficking and of always ensuring human dignity.
The religious ceremony, con-celebrated by Rodríguez Vega, was attended by representatives of Catholic Action in Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, United States, Spain, Italy and Mexico. Later, they analyzed how networks of traffickers operate: who are the victims, victimizers and consumers; trafficking for child pornography, sex tourism, labor exploitation and organ trafficking.
Data provided by specialists helped participants to visualize the outlook for Latin America regarding trafficking. [The data were also used] to analyze the behavior of the communications media regarding trafficking and to learn about recruitment via social media, as well as to propose strategies for reporting and referring of victims.
"To the now classic definition of slavery, I would add another form that occurs in today's world, which is slavery for criminal purposes.
"In my diocese [Nuevo Laredo], as in many other places affected by violence and organized crime, many teenagers and young people are taken by force to work for a criminal group, under the threat of being killed or, even worse, having their loved ones injured. Others who have joined these groups, attracted perhaps by the desire for easy money or for reasons of revenge, when they want to leave, are also forced to remain in the group for security reasons."At the meeting, María Giovanna Ruggieri, general president of WUCWO, observed that
"human trafficking is the greatest scourge of the XXI century"; before it "we want to be the voice of the [Catholic] Church, to offer inspiration, encouragement, and the commitment of love in action."During her speech she mentioned that among the causes of trafficking is
"moral poverty that leads many with good incomes to consider people--including women and children--as objects and a source of personal pleasure," and she emphasized that trafficking is a "tragedy that affects increasingly younger women."Mónica Santamarina, WUCWO general vice president and vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean, indicated that
"we are talking about the world's second largest business. Today buying and selling people generates more profits than buying and selling arms. This must pain us."She added that awareness is urgently needed, because "there are still many of us who close our eyes."
On the occasion of the meeting, Carlos Aguiar Retes, CELAM's president, said mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral. In his homily, he spoke of the importance of eradicating human trafficking and of always ensuring human dignity.
The religious ceremony, con-celebrated by Rodríguez Vega, was attended by representatives of Catholic Action in Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, United States, Spain, Italy and Mexico. Later, they analyzed how networks of traffickers operate: who are the victims, victimizers and consumers; trafficking for child pornography, sex tourism, labor exploitation and organ trafficking.
Data provided by specialists helped participants to visualize the outlook for Latin America regarding trafficking. [The data were also used] to analyze the behavior of the communications media regarding trafficking and to learn about recruitment via social media, as well as to propose strategies for reporting and referring of victims.
"Trafficking isn't only that Los Zetas might come, kidnap a woman and force her into prostitution. We have boys and girls forced to work," clarified Monica Salazar from the Collective Against Trafficking in Persons.Salazar also warned about the practice of bringing girls from poor places for domestic work.
"Who has not heard that you can go to the mountains or to Oaxaca to look for a girl for housework, take her home to work and not even pay her? We have to change in order to overcome this modern slavery. Trafficking is much closer than one might think," she emphasized.Spanish original