New Campaign Against
Child Sex Trade Launched
By Leland Baxter-Neal
Tico Times Staff
lbaxter@ticotimes.net

In Costa Rica, prostitution is legal. Child prostitution is not; however, that doesn't prevent it from happening. What can prevent it from happening is awareness and action on behalf of the Costa Rican government, social organizations and the general Costa Rican population, say the coordinators of a new campaign against the child sex trade.

Paniamor, one of Costa Rica 's leading child protection organizations, is launching the campaign as part of an ongoing program to strengthen the societal and institutional fight against the trafficking of minors for sexual purposes.

At a press conference Friday, representatives from the Costa Rican government -- and a representative from the Italian Embassy, which is helping fund the campaign -- joined Paniamor Executive Director Milena Grillo in announcing the launch of the campaign.

Johnny Marín, Director of Costa Rica's General Immigration Administration, stressed the worldwide reach of human trafficking and reaffirmed his agents' commitment to the campaign.

“According to reports from international organizations, every year between 600,000 and 800,000 people are moved across international borders as victims of human trafficking. Of those, 80% are women and girls and 50% are minors,” Marín said. “The General Immigration Administration, today in the presentation of this campaign, renews its commitment as an active agent in the fight against the trade of minors for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation, to put an end to this shadow that darkens so many lives.”

The campaign, entitled “Behind a Promise… Could be a Destination of Pain,” will hit radio and television airwaves next week, thanks to donated airplay from various stations. The television ad features adolescent girls encouraging other girls to reject offers of money or gifts in exchange for taking trips that could end up involving sexual exploitation. The radio spot features the same audio from the TV ad, which was produced by Esteban Ramírez, well known for his internationally distributed feature film “Caribe.”

New posters will also be located at the Juan Santamaría International Airport, northwest of San José, and other locations. At the press conference, the Paniamor director unveiled the three designs. One showed a passport and plane ticket sitting inside a cage. A second was a photo of two earrings dangling from a fishhook and the final poster showed a mousetrap baited with a roll of dollar bills. All carried the slogan of the campaign, in Spanish.

The campaign will run in concert with new special training for Costa Rica's Immigration and Border Police aimed at strengthening the officials' ability to intervene in cases of child and adolescent sex trafficking.