2007 Trafficking in Persons Report - Center for Women Policy Studies

E C U A D O R
abandonment process, and there were no reports of
voluntary abandonment being forced or involuntary.
Several other victims were repatriated through
the help of their embassies or an international
organization. Trafficking victims are generally not
treated as criminals. The Ministry of Labor works
with international organizations to arrange assistance
and shelter for victims on an ad hoc basis.
Prevention
The Government of East Timor continued to rely
on international organizations and NGOs to raise
awareness and prevent trafficking in persons. The
Ministry of Labor collaborated with NGOs and
international organizations to support public information
campaigns. The Trafficking Working Group
is chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and
includes other government ministries, international
organizations and NGOs, but it has not met in over
a year because of the political crisis throughout
2006. East Timor has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP
Protocol.
ECUADOR (Tier 2)
Ecuador is a source, transit, and destination
country for women and children trafficked for
the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation.
Ecuadorian children are trafficked from coastal and
border areas to urban centers for sexual exploitation;
some are trafficked to neighboring countries
and to Spain. Ecuadorian women are trafficked to
Western Europe, particularly Spain and Italy, as
well as Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela for sexual
exploitation. In addition, Colombian women and
adolescent girls are trafficked to Ecuador for sexual
exploitation. However, most victims are trafficked
within the country’s borders.
The Government of Ecuador does not fully comply
with the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to
do so. In 2006, the government passed legislation to
close a major legal loophole in the 2005 anti-trafficking
law, which had hindered trafficking prosecutions.
The government also stepped up prosecutions and
investigations of traffickers and intensified training
for police, prosecutors, and official personnel.
It expanded efforts to raise public awareness and
improve protection for victims. The Ecuadorian
government committed to combat human trafficking
when the former President signed the National
Anti-Trafficking in Persons plan in August 2006. The
government should strengthen efforts to investigate
and convict traffickers, especially in the areas of
commercial sexual exploitation of children and child
labor. It should continue to work with civil society to
train government personnel, raise public awareness,
and improve protection for victims.
Prosecution
The Government of Ecuador made significant progress
in identifying and punishing acts of trafficking
during the reporting period. Its anti-trafficking statute
prohibits all forms of trafficking and prescribes
punishments of up to 35 years’ imprisonment.
Since enactment of the law in 2005, trafficking
investigations have increased, with more than 100
active investigations now underway. Two separate
trafficking prosecutions in 2006, one involving
child prostitution and another involving child
pornography, resulted in convictions and sentences
of 12 years each. Complementing an existing eightmember
anti-trafficking police unit in Quito, the
government in September 2006 set up a sex-crimes
police unit with trafficking responsibilities in
Guayas, the most populated province in Ecuador.
Protection
The Ecuadorian government committed more
resources to identifying and assisting trafficking
victims during the last year. The Victim and Witness
Protection Program, administered by the Public
Ministry, assisted 27 trafficking victims. Although
the Program is not exclusively for trafficking victims,
it coordinates government agencies and NGOs in
providing victims with shelter, police protection,
psychological and medical care, economic and
employment assistance, and other services. The
government doubled the Program’s budget in 2006,
and has proposed more funding for 2007. The
government also launched a second sheltering project
for trafficking victims through a national agency,
the Institute for Children and Family (INNFA).
Ecuadorian authorities encourage victims to assist in
the investigation and prosecution of their traffickers.
In August 2006, the government established a 36-
member police unit to provide greater protection for
trafficking victims and witnesses across the country.
There were no reports of victims jailed, deported,
or otherwise penalized. Ecuador does not provide
legal alternatives to the removal of foreign victims to
countries where they face hardship or retribution.
Prevention
The government demonstrated significant prevention
and public awareness efforts in 2006. Highlevel
government leaders and politicians, including
the former President and First Lady, focused
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