Sex work is legal in Colombia if it involves consenting adults.
The mayor of Colombia's second-largest city has banned prostitution in some of the city's most famous neighbourhoods for six months after an American man was found in a hotel room with two minor girls. According to the Independent, the ban will be enforced in Provenza and El Poblado, the two neighbourhoods which are popular with tourists. Medellín's Mayor Federico Gutiérrez said the ban is a necessary step to prevent the sexual exploitation of children.
The ban comes after a US tourist was found in a hotel room with two local girls aged 12 and 13. The case which was widely discussed by the media shocked locals. As a result, the 36-year-old American man was held in police custody for 12 hours. He was later released while officials investigated the case. He later left the country and fled to Florida.
Notably, the two neighbourhoods have become popular with sex workers who walk the streets in search of foreigners. Several criminal networks operating in the area have been forcing minors into sex work.
Mayor Gutierrez said, ''We have to recover the control of this area. It is also very important for us to protect the community.''
He also urged Colombian authorities to speed up the investigation into the tourist case. ''It is sad to see how many people believe they can come to Medellín and do whatever they want,'' he said during Monday's news conference.
Sex work is legal in Colombia if it involves consenting adults. However, if it is deemed a threat to public order, local governments have the authority to ban the activity temporarily.
Notably, tourists have now been meeting sex workers 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.