Colombia's Veneer of Aid: Hidden Motives, Voiceless Victims, and the US Trafficking in Persons Report Michael Middleton [email protected]

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Colombia's Veneer of Aid: Hidden Motives, Voiceless Victims, and the US Trafficking in Persons Report Michael Middleton Mamiddleton@Dons.Usfca.Edu The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Master's Theses Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects Fall 12-14-2018 Colombia's Veneer of Aid: Hidden Motives, Voiceless Victims, and the US Trafficking in Persons Report Michael Middleton [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/thes Part of the Latin American Studies Commons, Migration Studies Commons, and the Other International and Area Studies Commons Recommended Citation Middleton, Michael, "Colombia's Veneer of Aid: Hidden Motives, Voiceless Victims, and the US Trafficking in Persons Report" (2018). Master's Theses. 1166. https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/1166 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects at USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Running Head: COLOMBIA’S VENEER OF AID Colombia’s Veneer of Aid: Hidden Motives, Voiceless Victims, and the U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report Michael Middleton University of San Francisco San Francisco, California November 20, 2018 Master of Arts in International Studies Colombia’s Veneer of Aid: Hidden Motives, Voiceless Victims, and the U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS In INTERNATIONAL STUDIES by Michael Middleton November 20, 2018 UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO Under the guidance and approval of the committee, and approval by all the members, this thesis project has been accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree. APPROVED: ________________________________________ ________________________ Capstone Adviser Date ________________________________________ ________________________ COLOMBIA’S VENEER OF AID ABSTRACT This study analyzes the Trafficking in Persons report, an annual report from the United States State Department that ranks each country on its ability to meet “minimum standards” for combating human trafficking. Using Colombia as a case study, this paper heavily critiques the traditional human trafficking discourse by applying a transnational intersectional feminist framework to explore the context and development of human trafficking in Colombia. I will first look at the legal framework for anti-trafficking policy in Colombia with a policy analysis of the laws and legislation that arose after the ratification of the Palermo Protocol in 2000. The strengths and weaknesses of these policies will be looked at through the lens of activists and government workers in Colombia. Next I will analyze the trajectory of US international human trafficking policy by looking at the contestations that went into US domestic legislation, followed by a closer examination of the inception, function, and evolution of the Trafficking in Persons report. Finally, I will use a transnational intersectional feminist framework to critique the Trafficking in Persons report and cover key trends that correlate with wider global issues. Based on the data collected and building on a critical feminist perspective on the anti- trafficking discourse, this study argues that the Trafficking in Persons report is a cog in the traditional anti-trafficking discourse which uses the guise of aid to perpetuate global inequality. ii COLOMBIA’S VENEER OF AID TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments..............................................................................................................vi Chapter 1: Introduction.......................................................................................................1 1.1 Background........................................................................................................1 1.2 Motivation..........................................................................................................4 1.3 Research Question.............................................................................................6 1.4 Contents Explanation.........................................................................................7 Chapter 2: Literature Review...............................................................................................9 2.1 Background to Anti-trafficking..........................................................................9 2.2 Perspective 1: Critiquing the Effectiveness of International Protocol.............13 2.3 Perspective 2: Anti-prostitution Abolitionists..................................................15 2.4 Perspective 3: Critiquing the Anti-trafficking Discourse.................................16 2.5 Summary..........................................................................................................21 Chapter 3: Methods............................................................................................................23 3.1 Setting..............................................................................................................23 3.2 Application of Research Questions..................................................................26 3.3 Research Design...............................................................................................27 3.4 Interview Design..............................................................................................29 3.5 Interview Structure and Format.......................................................................33 3.6 Data Analysis...................................................................................................34 Chapter 4: Anti-trafficking Framework of Colombia........................................................37 4.1 Government Policies........................................................................................38 iii COLOMBIA’S VENEER OF AID 4.1.1 Legal Framework..............................................................................38 4.1.1 Organization and Training................................................................40 4.1.3 Public Awareness..............................................................................43 4.1.4 UNODC’s Role.................................................................................45 4.1.5 Observa LA Trata..............................................................................46 4.1.6 Victim Protection..............................................................................47 4.1.7 Traffickers Adapting.........................................................................49 4.2 Modern Day Context.......................................................................................49 4.2.1 Current Situation...............................................................................49 4.2.2 Crisis in Venezuela............................................................................50 4.2.3 Conflation of Prostitution with Trafficking......................................53 4.3 Summary...........................................................................................................55 Chapter 5: Inception, Function, and Evolution of the Trafficking in Persons Report.......57 5.1 Inception..........................................................................................................58 5.2 Function...........................................................................................................60 5.3 Evolution and Critique.....................................................................................62 5.4 Summary..........................................................................................................68 Chapter 6: The White (Wo)man’s Burden.........................................................................70 6.1 Review of the Framework...............................................................................71 6.2 Findings...........................................................................................................74 6.2.1 Gender...............................................................................................74 6.2.2 Conflation with Migration................................................................76 iv COLOMBIA’S VENEER OF AID 6.2.3 Victim’s Agency................................................................................78 6.2.4 Prostitution........................................................................................79 6.2.5 Quantifiable Numbers.......................................................................80 6.2.6 Heroes vs. Villains............................................................................82 6.2.7 Political Aspect.................................................................................84 6.3 Positionality and Feminist Research Methods..............................................86 6.4 Summary.......................................................................................................88 Chapter 7: Discussion and Conclusion..............................................................................89 7.1 Further Discussion...........................................................................................89 7.1.1 Ignoring Push Factors.......................................................................90 7.1.2 Conflation with Migration/Prostitution.............................................91
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