South America: Shocking social situation unseen by world

An international institute has revealed the deplorable conditions in which a great number of people live in South America, unseen by the outside world.

Bernardo Kliksberg, Coordinator of the Social Institute of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), declared that the terror felt by average citizens on a daily basis in South America was unknown to the rest of the world.

Speaking at the Congress “Social Responsibility of Firms in the reduction of Poverty”, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Bernardo Kliksberg added that the terror he was referring to had nothing to do with the September 11th attacks, but rather the very serious social conditions in Latin America.

Various international organisms, such as UNICEF and ECLAC (Economic Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean) have denounced the social situation in this continent and have warned that the majority of those who suffer are children. “Twenty million children under fourteen years of age work and are not going to school. One in every three children under two years of age is under-nourished”, declared the Coordinator of the IADB.

One of the main problems associated to poverty is the phenomenon of child prostitution. Travel agencies from Europe or the USA organise sexual tourism packages, in which travellers (99% of which are male) pay for a package which includes flight, hotel accommodation with full board and lodging. Apart, another package is linked.

This begins normally with a magazine or a dossier of photographs of young girls or boys, complete with “name” (false) and the type of “services” offered. Finally, a price is presented. One telephone call later, the “goods” are served to the “client”, very often rented by their own parents for drugs money and so the circus goes on, year after year after year.

Marcia MIRANDA PRAVDA.Ru BRAZIL