Sexual commercial exploitation of children and teenagers in the Historic Center and Rodadero in Santa Marta city (Colombia)

Abstract

This paper describes the situation of commercial sexual exploitation involving children and adolescents in the Historic Center and Rodadero in Santa Marta city (Colombia). The demand and supply in the market is analyzed, taking into account the interactions among implicated actors: the exploiter, the exploited, the consumer, the main public policy makers and formal tourism representatives. Their participation in the dynamics of this unwanted market is exposed, which it has become the scourge of Santa Marta society, tourism and the environment. Through surveys and interviews the profile of the potential consumers of such services as well as their manners of participation were established. It is maintained, as a result of the study, that demand plays a key role in the persistence of this market. It is suggested that public administration has performed very poorly in preventing and mitigating this phenomenon. And that the main goal of such policies as well as of committed citizens should discouraging demand.