In which countries of America is modern slavery most prevalent?

latest global slavery index conducted a regional analysis of the situation in the Americas and determined that although the continent had the lowest incidence of modern slavery out of five regions, only 5 out of every thousand people lived in this situation; America had the third highest rate of forced labor (3.5 per thousand)But least in case of forced marriage (1.5 per thousand) compared to other areas. According to the ranking, the ten countries with the highest prevalence of modern slavery include six South American countries, led by Venezuela.

Venezuela, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Bolivia and Peru They lead the list which includes 25 countries on the continent. According to walk freeAn international human rights group focused on the abolition of modern slavery, sensitivity to contemporary slavery is seen primarily in the US Socio-economic inequality, increased by political instability and discrimination Towards immigrants and minority communities.

In this area, the report indicates, Venezuela, haiti And guard Standing to represent the highest rates of modern slavery. in the matter of haiti And VenezuelaThis problem is closely related to migration, Political instability and drug trafficking routes Which goes from South America to Central and North America. Meanwhile, in El Salvador it is related to gang and gender violence.

According to the index, children in the US “face a particularly high risk of becoming victims of various forms of modern slavery”. Minors have been recruited as soldiers in long-running civil conflicts in countries such as Colombia and Venezuela, with deep emotional consequences. Besides, child recruitment There has been a significant increase in armed groups, gangs and organized crime in the area, affecting children Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and El Salvador.

index suggests bolivia Criminalizing forced labour, commercial sexual exploitation of children and raising the legal age of marriage to 18 years for men and women, without exception, in accordance with international conventions. peruOn the other hand, it has a rating of 47 and presents a higher than average vulnerability for the sector. Vulnerability is greater in the context of marginalized groups.

analysis of walk free Reports on the involvement of minors in hazardous work in sectors such as gold and tin mining, drug trafficking, and agriculture, particularly in sectors such as cotton farming, livestock rearing, fishing, and tobacco cultivation. Commercial sexual exploitation of minors is also a reality in the region, particularly in the Caribbean, where sex tourism, especially involving minors, remains a persistent problem. Tourists, primarily from the United States, seek to exploit minors in countries such as Belize.

Another group vulnerable to forced labor is Seasonal and undocumented temporary workers in the agricultural sectorThat includes people who work in high-income countries like the United States and Canada: “This vulnerability increases in informal or rural work environments where regulations are limited and labor inspections are rare,” the document reads.

Labor exploitation in US supply chains remains a widespread challenge in the region, particularly for agricultural workers in countries that export products to the US market. Additionally, conditions of compulsory prison labor have been documented in both public and private prisons in Brazil and the United States.

The most populous countries in the region, such as Brazil, United States and Mexico, hosts the largest estimated number of people living in modern slavery. Three out of every five people affected by this reality are exploited in these countries. On the other hand, nations prefer Canada, Uruguay and Chile Show low prevalence rates in the area.