Mayor Federico Gutierrez said Monday that the prostitution 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 where the prostitution ban will be enforced have also become popular with sex workers who walk the streets in search of international clients. Mayor Gutierrez said that criminal networks are also exploiting minors by taking them to these districts and forcing them into sex work.
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 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.
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.
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.
