Federico Gutierrez, Mayor of Medellín, a city located in the Andes mountains in Colombia,&nbsp;has taken a decisive action and&nbsp;has imposed a six-month ban on prostitution in two neighbourhoods.&nbsp;

This comes as Provenza and El Poblado localities which are very popular with tourists have witnessed a rising trend&nbsp;in disturbing incidents, the latest involving an American man found with two minor girls in a Medellin hotel room.&nbsp;

The incident has triggered the ban. The incident at the Medellin has sent shockwaves through the community when an American tourist was spotted with two local girls aged 12 and 13.

The tragic event led to the American man being detained for 12 hours. However, he eventually left the country and escaped to Florida. Notably, the investigation in the case is still ongoing as Mayor Gutierrez while expressing his concern also asked the Colombian authorities to expedite the investigation into the case.

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Mayor Gutierrez pointed out at the need of the ban to combat the sexual exploitation of children in these areas which are known for sex workers. ''We have to recover the control of this area. It is also very important for us to protect the community,"&nbsp;Gutierrez said.&nbsp;

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He said, "It is sad to see how many people believe they can come to Medellín and do whatever they want."

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<h2>Sex work is legal in Colombia </h2>

In Colombia, sex work involving consenting adults is legal. However, Colombian laws empower local governments to temporarily prohibit this activity in certain parts of the city if it is considered a threat to public order.

The ban comes at a time when there is a rising concern about the dangers associated with tourists meeting sex workers through dating apps.

US Embassy in Bogota, State Department in an earlier press release said, it has been informed of eight concerning deaths of private US citizens in Medellin between November 1 and December 31, 2023.&nbsp;

These deaths seem to be related to either involuntary drug overdose&nbsp;or suspected homicides, as per the release. Several of the deaths suggested possible scenarios of involvement of the use of online dating applications.

(With inputs from agencies)

Federico Gutierrez, Mayor of Medellín, a city located in the Andes mountains in Colombia, has taken a decisive action and has imposed a six-month ban on prostitution in two neighbourhoods.

Federico Gutierrez, Mayor of Medellín, a city located in the Andes mountains in Colombia, has taken a decisive action and has imposed a six-month ban on prostitution in two neighbourhoods. This comes as Provenza and El Poblado localities which are very popular with tourists have witnessed a rising trend in disturbing incidents, the latest involving an American man found with two minor girls in a Medellin hotel room. The incident has triggered the ban. The incident at the Medellin has sent shockwaves through the community when an American tourist was spotted with two local girls aged 12 and 13. The tragic event led to the American man being detained for 12 hours. However, he eventually left the country and escaped to Florida. Notably, the investigation in the case is still ongoing as Mayor Gutierrez while expressing his concern also asked the Colombian authorities to expedite the investigation into the case. Also Read | Trump launches fresh tirade against illegal migrants, calls them 'animals' and 'not humans' Mayor Gutierrez pointed out at the need of the ban to combat the sexual exploitation of children in these areas which are known for sex workers. ''We have to recover the control of this area. It is also very important for us to protect the community," Gutierrez said. Also Read | Russians rush to join army seeking to avenge Moscow concert hall attack He said, "It is sad to see how many people believe they can come to Medellín and do whatever they want." Watch | Russia-Ukraine war: Russia attacks educational facility in Ukraine × Sex work is legal in Colombia In Colombia, sex work involving consenting adults is legal. However, Colombian laws empower local governments to temporarily prohibit this activity in certain parts of the city if it is considered a threat to public order. The ban comes at a time when there is a rising concern about the dangers associated with tourists meeting sex workers through dating apps. US Embassy in Bogota, State Department in an earlier press release said, it has been informed of eight concerning deaths of private US citizens in Medellin between November 1 and December 31, 2023. These deaths seem to be related to either involuntary drug overdose or suspected homicides, as per the release. Several of the deaths suggested possible scenarios of involvement of the use of online dating applications. (With inputs from agencies)

Medellin Mayor Federico Gutierrez imposes 6-month prostitution ban after tourist spotted with minors

As Spain debates abolition of prostitution, here’s a list of countries where it is legal

The Spanish Parliament has voted in favour of legislation to abolish prostitution, cracking down further on pimping and introducing tougher penalties for men buying sex in a controversial initiative that has split the women’s rights movement.

Although prostitution has been illegal, brothels have operated as hotels or other lodging establishments across the country.

Under the proposed legislation tabled by Socialist Party’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, sex workers would be protected under laws where they would be treated as victims rather than criminals as they would be under any outright ban on prostitution.

The proposal was passed with a majority of 232 lawmakers, while 38 voted against it and 69 abstained.

It now faces a lengthy process during which lawmakers can suggest amendments that can be approved or rejected, reports Reuters.

After the bill undergoes discussions/debates to suggest any changes, lawmakers must vote again and only then will the law be sent to the Senate.

Prostitution boomed in Spain since it was decriminalised in 1995. Recent estimates available till 2019 put revenue from the domestic sex trade at $26.5bn a year, with hundreds of licensed brothels and an estimated workforce of 300,000.

Supporters of decriminalisation claim that it has brought benefits to those working in the trade, including making life safer for women. However, this largely unregulated market has also become infested with criminality, turning Spain into a global hub for human trafficking and sexual slavery.

The country has become known as the brothel of Europe, after a 2011 United Nations report cited Spain as the third biggest capital of prostitution in the world, behind Thailand and Puerto Rico.

(With reports from agencies)

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The Spanish Parliament has voted in favour of legislation to abolish prostitution, cracking down further on pimping and introducing tougher penalties for men buying sex in a controversial initiative that has split the women’s rights movement.

The Spanish Parliament has voted in favour of legislation to abolish prostitution, cracking down further on pimping and introducing tougher penalties for men buying sex in a controversial initiative that has split the women’s rights movement. Although prostitution has been illegal, brothels have operated as hotels or other lodging establishments across the country. Under the proposed legislation tabled by Socialist Party’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, sex workers would be protected under laws where they would be treated as victims rather than criminals as they would be under any outright ban on prostitution. The proposal was passed with a majority of 232 lawmakers, while 38 voted against it and 69 abstained. It now faces a lengthy process during which lawmakers can suggest amendments that can be approved or rejected, reports Reuters. After the bill undergoes discussions/debates to suggest any changes, lawmakers must vote again and only then will the law be sent to the Senate. Prostitution boomed in Spain since it was decriminalised in 1995. Recent estimates available till 2019 put revenue from the domestic sex trade at $26.5bn a year, with hundreds of licensed brothels and an estimated workforce of 300,000. Supporters of decriminalisation claim that it has brought benefits to those working in the trade, including making life safer for women. However, this largely unregulated market has also become infested with criminality, turning Spain into a global hub for human trafficking and sexual slavery. The country has become known as the brothel of Europe, after a 2011 United Nations report cited Spain as the third biggest capital of prostitution in the world, behind Thailand and Puerto Rico. (With reports from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Spanish Parliament votes in favour of legislation abolishing prostitution

Pedro Sanchez, Spain's leftist prime minister, promised to eradicate prostitution in the country, saying the practice enslaves women.

Speaking on the final day of a three-day congress of his socialist party, Sanchez discussed his government's policies that he said helped "advance" Spain, such as tougher laws against domestic violence and an increase in the minimum wage.

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"And out of this congress emerges a commitment I will implement. We will advance by abolishing prostitution, which enslaves women," he told the gathering in the eastern city of Valencia without providing further details.

After his Socialist party came first in the two inconclusive national elections that took place in 2019, Sanchez became Prime Minister in January 2020 at the helm of a minority coalition government.

Ahead of the general election held in April 2019, in an effort to attract female voters, the party published, a woman-focused manifesto, proposing to outlaw prostitution.

The manifesto called prostitution "one of the cruellest aspects of the feminisation of poverty and one of the worst forms of violence against women".

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Although sexual exploitation and pimping are illegal in Spain, prostitution so far is unregulated.

In Spain, those who offer paid sexual services of their own free will are not punished as long as the services are not in public. Instead, the laws focus on combating human trafficking.

There are a considerable number of brothels in the country, even though prostitution isn't recognized as a regular employment option. A lot of the brothels operate as hotels or other lodging establishments.

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According to a 2009 survey by the country's state-owned Social Investigations Centre (CIS), one in three men in Spain had paid for sex at some point during their lives.

There is an argument that demand for trafficked women is fueled by legal limbo around prostitution.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pedro Sanchez, Spain's leftist prime minister, promised to eradicate prostitution in the country, saying the practice enslaves women. Speaking on the final day of a three-day congress of his socialist party, Sanchez discussed his government's policies that he said helped "advance" Spain, such as tougher laws against domestic violence and an increase in the minimum wage.

Pedro Sanchez, Spain's leftist prime minister, promised to eradicate prostitution in the country, saying the practice enslaves women. Speaking on the final day of a three-day congress of his socialist party, Sanchez discussed his government's policies that he said helped "advance" Spain, such as tougher laws against domestic violence and an increase in the minimum wage. Also read | Sex workers fighting for human rights are world’s most ‘at risk activists’ "And out of this congress emerges a commitment I will implement. We will advance by abolishing prostitution, which enslaves women," he told the gathering in the eastern city of Valencia without providing further details. After his Socialist party came first in the two inconclusive national elections that took place in 2019, Sanchez became Prime Minister in January 2020 at the helm of a minority coalition government. Ahead of the general election held in April 2019, in an effort to attract female voters, the party published, a woman-focused manifesto, proposing to outlaw prostitution. The manifesto called prostitution "one of the cruellest aspects of the feminisation of poverty and one of the worst forms of violence against women". Also read | In a first, sex worker group gets unionised in Canada Although sexual exploitation and pimping are illegal in Spain, prostitution so far is unregulated. In Spain, those who offer paid sexual services of their own free will are not punished as long as the services are not in public. Instead, the laws focus on combating human trafficking. There are a considerable number of brothels in the country, even though prostitution isn't recognized as a regular employment option. A lot of the brothels operate as hotels or other lodging establishments. Also read | R Kelly convicted of luring women, underage girls for sex According to a 2009 survey by the country's state-owned Social Investigations Centre (CIS), one in three men in Spain had paid for sex at some point during their lives. There is an argument that demand for trafficked women is fueled by legal limbo around prostitution. (With inputs from agencies)

Spanish PM Sanchez vows to 'abolish' prostitution, says the practice 'enslaves' women

Belgium's capital has banned prostitution in certain districts in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. For sex- workers, however, the prohibition is a threat to their livelihoods.

"It's stupid," sex worker says after Brussels implements prostitution ban

prostitution-ban

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