Mayor of Medellin, Colombia bans prostitution in neighbourhoods that are popular with tourists

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The mayor of Colombia's second largest city has issued a six month ban on prostitution in one of the city's most famous neighbourhoods, arguing that it is a necessary step to prevent the sexual exploitation of children.

Mayor Federico Gutierrez said Monday that the prostitution ban will be enforced in the neighbourhoods 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 neighbourhoods where the prostitution ban will be enforced have also become popular with sex workers who walk the streets in search of international clients.

Gutierrez said that criminal networks are also exploiting minors by taking them to these districts and forcing them into sex work.

“We have to recover the control of this area” Gutierrez said at a news conference. “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 to be a threat to public order.

The Medellin 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 that has been widely covered by the local press.

The 36-year-old was held in police custody for 12 hours, but was released while officials investigate the case, and is now believed to be in Florida. During Monday's news conference, Gutierrez urged Colombian authorities to speed up the investigation and said that “it is sad to see how many people believe they can come to Medellin and do whatever they want.”

Prostitution has grown in Medellin as the city of three million people becomes increasingly popular with tourists, who head to Medellin 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 out to be violent.

In January the State Department issued a security alert on the risks of using dating apps in Medellin, after eight Americans had been killed in the city in the months of November and December.

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

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