The US State Department has included Venezuela on a list of nations that could face sanctions along with Cuba, Costa Rica, Panamá and the Dominican Republic for their lack of action in combating human trafficking. The 11th edition of the Trafficking in Persons Report did not see much progress in Venezuela’s efforts to  combat human trafficking, for which it can face a number of sanctions ranging from the suspension of non humanitarian and non commercial aid to the US opposing IMF or World Bank financing.

According to the report presented by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “Venezuela is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor. Venezuelan women and girls are found in conditions of sex trafficking within the country, lured from poor interior regions to urban and tourist centers, such as Caracas, Maracaibo, and Margarita Island”.

The report also stated a number of reforms that must happen in order for Venezuela to get on the right track when it comes to combating human trafficking. These reforms include:

• Modifying its current laws in order to prohibit and adequately reprimand any type of human trafficking
• Intensifying its efforts to investigate and prosecute cases of forced prostitution and slave labor
• Prosecuting and jailing the traffickers
• Providing better specialized assistance to the victims
• Identifying the victims among vulnerable groups
• Improving the current databases in regards to these types of felonies

The listing of Venezuela in the report is likely to further deteriorate the already fragile diplomatic relations between both countries. Both countries lack the representation of ambassadors in their territories. Furthermore, the US imposed economic sanctions on the state owned oil company, PDVA, for their dealings with Iran.