Survivor’s Shocking Tale of Human Trafficking in Cancún

A young Colombian woman recently shared her harrowing experience of human trafficking in Cancún on the podcast "Vos Podés". Her story reveals the terrifying realities of sexual exploitation and the intricate network of complicity that allows this crime to persist.

Her ordeal began in 2017 when a friend named Milena persuaded her to travel to Cancún for a job at a supposedly high-end restaurant. Milena painted an idyllic picture of life in Mexico, with the job involving customer service tasks such as explaining the menu and guiding customers to their tables. As part of the recruitment process, she was asked to provide photos in a swimsuit and a video to "assess her profile", with the justification that the restaurant only hired personnel who were attractive. A woman named Melissa sent her $1,200 for her passport and plane tickets. On May 13, 2017, she arrived at Cancún International Airport, full of hope for her new life.

Upon her arrival, a man picked her up in a van where she waited for several hours with other young women. They were taken to a house where a man named Edgar demanded they repay the money they were given, surrender their passports, and sign a contract agreeing to repay a debt of 170,000 Mexican pesos. She soon discovered that the promised job was actually forced prostitution, with the initial debt constantly increasing due to arbitrary fines and charges. The situation worsened when she was moved to a bar where she was required to perform nearly nude table dances in addition to providing sexual services. Refusing these demands resulted in severe punishments.

Her circumstances began to change when a woman, who had arrived a few days earlier, sent a message to the victims' WhatsApp group, stating, "What you are doing is called human trafficking, and I'm not staying here." Despite the woman escaping a few days later, her actions alerted the authorities. A raid on the bar on August 6th led to their rescue. The young woman recalled the fear she felt when an armed group stormed the bar, thinking they were there to kill them. When it was confirmed that they were authorities, the women were taken to a police station where they began to receive support.

However, the ordeal was not over. At the National Institute of Migration, the victims were isolated from outside communication and coerced into signing documents absolving the bar managers and others involved of any responsibility. They were given two choices: sign a protection order and wait up to a month for their legal situation to be resolved, or accept an "assisted return" to their home countries. The young woman chose to return to Colombia, describing the moment as miraculous: "Either I leave in a coffin or I go home." On August 10, 2017, she boarded a Federal Police plane that took her back to her country.

Now, seven years later, she identifies as a survivor. Through sharing her story, she hopes to warn others about the dangers of seemingly perfect job offers. "I do this because it is a way of getting it out of my mind, of freeing myself. So it can help someone, so that no one else goes through this." Despite escaping, the trauma remains, and she asserts that trafficking networks continue to operate.