Mayor of Medellin, Colombia bans prostitution in neighborhoods that are popular with tourists

By MANUEL RUEDA
Associated Press

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The mayor of Colombia’s second largest city has issued a six-month ban on prostitution in one of the city’s most famous neighborhoods, arguing that it is a necessary step to prevent the sexual exploitation of children. Mayor Federico Gutierrez said that the prostitution ban will be enforced in the neighborhoods of Provenza and El Poblado, two areas of the city that are teeming with popular bars and clubs and are also frequented by thousands of tourists. Sex work is legal in Colombia if it involves consenting adults. But Colombian laws enable local governments to ban this activity temporarily from some parts of the city, if it is deemed to be a threat to public order.