Country Report: Paraguay

A Victim's Story

In July 2000, a few hundred Paraguayan adolescent women were found enslaved in a brothel in San Miguel, Argentina. These girls were often drugged and exploited as prostitutes, forced to work for up to 15 hours straight. They were under constant surveillance and forbidden to have any contact with the outside world. Escape was impossible. The owner purchased each woman for about 300 US dollars in Paraguay. They were told they would be working as maids. Instead, they became sex slaves and were kept in debt bondage (the women were "'responsible" for paying back their travel expenses and meals). A local newspaper reported that a hidden camera caught the brothel owner bribing local police and political figures with about $18,000 to keep the brothel running. Attempts at escape would add another US$100 to their debt. The owner, after being captured and arrested, confessed that he brought in these Paraguayan girls because his clients demanded diversity. He also confessed to luring these young women with promises of jobs.

"Esclavas: Explotacion Sexual en el Gran Buenos Aires", Telenoche Investiga, July 2000

Country Background

Paraguay, with a population of about 5.8 million, is located between Brazil and Argentina. It has a market economy based on agricultural exports that is suffering from negative growth. Compared to its neighbors, Paraguay remains economically and politically marginalized. Even after the overthrow of the brutal 35-year Stroessner dictatorship in 1989, the country remains relatively isolated politically. Although human rights conditions have improved since the 1989 coup, human rights abuses continue. These abuses are both directly and indirectly government-sponsored. The U.S. Department of State has recently reported arbitrary killings and torture by the police and military.

Causes of Slavery

Intergovernmental human rights commissions are relatively weak in Paraguay. Because of this fact, combined with an ineffective judiciary system, the forced conscription of minors into the military as child soldiers, trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children, and forced labor imposed on the indigenous are ongoing problems in Paraguay. Racial, gender, and class discrimination, lack of job security, insufficient access to human rights information, lack of access to social benefits, and limited education are factors making individuals vulnerable to slavery. In addition, Paraguay has not ratified the UN Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery. Paraguay's lax laws facilitate exploitation. Although Paraguay prohibits the operation of brothels, police turn a blind eye and receive bribes from brothel owners, thus brothels continue to operate.

The Process of Enslavement

Paraguay is deeply affected by the processes of globalization, urbanization, and development. Indigenous groups are constantly being displaced through deforestation. Consequently, these tribes are pressured to leave traditional methods of subsistence agriculture and join the labor market in order to sustain their families. They enter the market and become immediately marginalized. Receiving the lowest-paying jobs available, they become vulnerable to enslavement. Communication and transportation are limited, making it even more difficult for victims to risk leaving their situation. In addition, victims fear beatings. Women also suffer from lack of protection for their basic rights. Women are easily lured into situations of debt bondage and sex slavery, particularly along the borders of Paraguay, when they attempt to be recruited into employment opportunities by individuals from neighboring countries.

Response on the Ground

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has been increasingly successful in monitoring slavery and releasing information to the public. The Commission has recently highlighted issues surrounding labor exploitation of indigenous groups. Other human rights groups operating on the ground are the Committee of Churches and Tekojoja. Global Infancia monitors human trafficking and provides assistance to women and children who are potential targets for sexual exploitation.

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