Police in Peru say they have rescued nearly 300 women from sexual exploitation in a raid in the country’s Amazon region.
At least four people were arrested in Puerto Maldonado on suspicion of human trafficking.
Among those rescued from about 50 brothels were at least 10 minors – the youngest was a 13-year-old girl.
More than 400 police took part in the three-day operation in the region, known for its illegal gold mining.
The region has seen an influx of fortune-hunters trying to make a living from the trade.
Prosecutors say young girls are lured to the area by women who travel around offering them jobs in shops or as domestic helpers, but that the girls often end up being forced to work as prostitutes in local bars.
Last month, the charity Save the Children said that more than 1,100 underage girls were being used as sexual slaves in illegal mining camps in the south-eastern Peruvian state of Madre de Dios.
Camps set up along the main highway have also attracted unlicensed bars used for prostitution.
The gold rush is contributing to the destruction of the rain forest and contaminating the environment with tons of mercury, used in processing the precious metal.
Peru is the world’s fifth largest gold producer.
via BBC News – Peru sex slavery: Police free 300 women in Amazon.
Shameful.
Deplorable.
Yet, so predictable.
China and Russia have vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria over its crackdown on anti-government protesters.
The European-drafted resolution had been watered down to try to avoid the vetoes, dropping a direct reference to sanctions against Damascus.
But Moscow and Beijing said the draft contained no provision against outside military intervention in Syria.
The US envoy to the UN said Washington was “outraged” by the vote.
The result is a huge blow to European and US efforts on the Syria issue, the BBC’s Laura Trevelyan in New York says.
More than 2,700 people have been killed across Syria since the crackdown began in March, the UN estimates.
The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says it is in the process of introducing reforms and is speaking to members of the opposition. It blames the unrest on armed gangs.
via BBC News – China and Russia veto UN resolution condemning Syria.
