Territorial Dynamics of Human Trafficking in the Department of Bolívar

Abstract

This research presents a comprehensive analysis of the territorial dynamics of human trafficking in the department of Bolívar, articulating Johan Galtung's theories of direct, structural, and cultural violence, and Henri Lefebvre's theories of the social production of space. The study demonstrates that trafficking is not an isolated crime, but rather the embodiment of structural violence such as endemic poverty, lack of opportunities, and institutional weakness that shape high-risk and vulnerable territories. Through a qualitative documentary analysis method, which triangulates sources such as early warnings from the Ombudsman's Office, monitoring reports from municipalities such as Montecristo, Arenal, Morales, Río Viejo, San Martín de Loba, and Santa Rosa del Sur, and academic production, the research identifies clearly defined victimization profiles. The findings confirm an alarming feminization and juvenilization of the crime, disproportionately concentrating on women, girls, and adolescents, whose age range for sexual exploitation is between 16 and 22 years. A strategic focus is highlighted on the Venezuelan migrant population, whose economic precariousness and lack of support networks are exploited by captors. The trafficking modalities projected for the 2024-2025 period, driven by Organized Armed Groups such as the AGC and the ELN, mainly include sexual exploitation in commercial establishments under debt bondage regimes, the forced recruitment of minors to strengthen their structures within the framework of the armed conflict, and labor exploitation in illicit economies such as illegal mining. While institutional responses are observed, such as the activation of Municipal Committees to Combat Trafficking, the study concludes that these efforts are predominantly reactive and insufficient to transform the structural conditions that give rise to the problem. Therefore, eradicating this scourge requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach, focused on social and economic development policies that address the root causes of vulnerability, thus strengthening the construction of sustainable peace in the region.