Colombian city bans prostitution after American tourist found with children

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday

Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US

The mayor of Colombia’s second largest city has issued a six-month ban on prostitution in some of the city’s most famous neighborhoods, arguing that it is a necessary step to prevent the sexual exploitation of children.

Medellín Mayor Federico Gutiérrez said the ban will be enforced in the neighborhoods of Provenza and El Poblado, two areas of the city that are teeming with trendy bars and clubs and are also frequented by thousands of tourists.

The neighborhoods have also become popular with sex workers who walk the streets in search of international clients. Mayor Gutiérrez said that criminal networks are taking minors to these districts and forcing them into sex work.“We have to recover the control of this area,” he said. “It is also very important for us to protect the community.”

Sex work is legal in Colombia if it involves consenting adults. But Colombian laws enable local governments to ban this activity temporarily from some parts of the city, if it is deemed a threat to public order.

The prostitution ban comes just days after an American man was found in a hotel room with two local girls aged 12 and 13, in a case widely covered by the local press.

The 36-year-old was held in police custody for 12 hours, then released while officials investigated the case. Local press reported that he left Colombia and went to Florida.

During Monday’s news conference, Gutiérrez urged Colombian authorities to speed up the investigation.“It is sad to see how many people believe they can come to Medellín and do whatever they want,” he said.

Sex work has grown as the city of three million people becomes increasingly popular with tourists, who head there for its balmy weather, affordable prices and festive atmosphere.

While some tourists meet sex workers directly in the city’s streets, others are meeting them through dating apps and some of these encounters have turned violent.In January, the State Department issued a security alert on the risks of using dating apps in Medellín, after eight Americans were killed there in the prior two months.

The alert said criminals were using dating apps to lure visitors to hotels, restaurants and bars where they were drugged, kidnapped or robbed.