In Colombia, sex work is neither illegal nor penalized, as indicated by the Constitutional Court’s case T-629.
Still, Gutiérrez says he is acting under extraordinary circumstances, given the urgency of fighting back against the mafias that he says run El Poblado.
He also announced that there would be meetings with owners of bars and hotels to clarify new “rules of the game”.
Last week’s case of the U.S. citizen has aroused indignation from Colombians and once again put a spotlight on the problem of sex tourism and its linked exploitation of children.
Sex tourism is just one side of a larger and more complex issue.
In recent months, there have been several cases of U.S. citizens who have died amid suspicious circumstances in the city.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition. »
