From the Miami Herald (emphasis added):
An annual State Department report has again listed Cuba and Venezuela among countries that are not doing enough to crack down on human trafficking.
The report, issued Monday, also listed Saudi Arabia, Belize, Myanmar, Iran, Laos, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe.
As many as 800,000 people are bought and sold across national borders annually or lured to other countries with false promises of work or other benefits, according to the report. Most are women and children.
The report says Cuba ”is a source country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced child labor” and the island “is a major destination for sex tourism.”
”Women and children from Colombia, China, Peru, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic are trafficked to and through Venezuela and subjected to commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor,” it said, adding that Venezuelans also are “trafficked internally and [abroad] . . . for commercial sexual exploitation.”
Ponder that the next time you hear about the charismatic-leader-helping-the-poor-offering-free-health-care-education-adult-literacy-and-job-training-initiatives-that-help-millions-of-Venezuelans/CubansTM.
(technorati tags Americas, Hugo Chavez, Venezuela, Cuba)
