http://worldmeets.us/images/Cartagena.Prostitute_pic.jpg

A ‘lady of the evening’ in search of clients in Cartagena, as

heads of state met for the Americas Summit, Apr. 14.

 

 

Don’t Blame the U.S. Secret Service: Restoring Cartagena’s Reputation (El Tiempo, Colombia)

 

“We regret that the crisis hasn’t led to genuine reflection on the constant, dangerous and undeniable growth of sex tourism in Cartagena, where many minors are exploited. This really is our problem - and one that we must attack with greater resolve. … Colombians cannot continue to treat Cartagena as if we, too, were foreigners.”

 

EDITORIAL

 

Translated By Douglas Myles Rasmussen

 

April 21, 2012

 

Colombia - El Tiempo - Original Article (Spanish)

First Cartagena and El Salvador, and now Brasilia: Exotic dancer Romilda Aparecida Ferreira claims she was the victim of an incident involving U.S. Marine security guards, saying she was pushed out of their car after meeting them at a Brasilia nightclub.

 

TELESUR NEWS VIDEO [STATE-RUN]: Coverage of the Secret Service sex scandal from Venezuela, April 17, 00:25:37RealVideo

Details of the sex scandal involving U.S. Secret Service agents during the recent Summit of the Americas in Cartagena continue to come to light.

 

Republican Senator Susan Collins revealed that 21 prostitutes entered the Hotel Caribe with a group of Secret Service bodyguards who were in the city as part of the detail protecting Barack Obama. The New York Times reported that the embarrassing episode, which could have jeopardized the life of the U.S. president, was sparked when the next morning, one of the guards refused to pay what was promised to the “escort” with whom he had spent the night. The newspaper El País recalls that members of the president’s security detail often recite the motto “wheels up, rings off” whenever they leave the country with their boss.

 

In the United States, where security never ceases to be a central theme and where the crisis confronted by President Bill Clinton over his indiscretions is still recalled with humor and Puritanism, the controversy is growing with each passing day. “Heads will roll,” said Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. Meanwhile, Republican candidate for president Mitt Romney has taken the opportunity to promise that should he be elected on November 6, he will immediately clean out the Secret Service once and for all. “We must remove from their posts all those who violate the trust of the people,” he asserted.

 

Three of the guards involved were expelled. Eleven players are suspended until further notice. Five soldiers are under disciplinary investigation.

 

Three of the bodyguards involved have been fired and eleven agents have been suspended until further notice. In addition, five soldiers are under disciplinary investigation.

 

Meanwhile, others are taking advantage of the situation in their own way. Pimps, who issue statements both nationally and internationally, are presenting their business as just one of the many attractions of today’s Cartagena. Social networks are full of all kinds of jokes and tourism-related businesses are inventing last minute promotions: U.S. carrier Spirit just launched a campaign that offers cheap flights to Colombia which, on account of this unfortunate episode, has in one week earned a reputation as a sex tourism paradise.

 

http://worldmeets.us/images/secret.service.travel.ad_pic.jpg

This advertisement from Spirit Airlines has been rejected by

the Colombia government.

 

SEE ALSO ON THIS:
El Espectador, Colombia: The Woman Who Rocked the U.S. Secret Service
El Tiempo, Colombia: Colombia Rejects U.S. Airline’s Secret Service 'Sex' Ad
La Prensa, Nicaragua: Why do Latin America Leaders Want to Follow Fidel?
Opera Mundi, Brazil: Americas Summit Cements ‘North American Isolation’
Ahora, Cuba: May Obama Be Able to Sleep with His Eyes Closed
El Pais, Spain: Blaming Washington: Why the Americas Summit was a Bust
Diario Co Latino, El Salvador: U.S. Imposes ‘Imperial Veto’ at Americas Summit
El Espectador, Colombia: People’s Summit Condemns Imposition of ‘U.S. Agenda’
El Espectador, Colombia: Evo Morales Blasts U.S. Over Summit Obstruction
El Espectador, Colombia: Summit of Americas in ‘Limbo’
Hoy, Ecuador: Americas Summit the Right Place to Address Drug War
Al-Jazeera, Qatar: Argentina 'Storms Out' of the Americas Summit
Globe & Mail, Canada: Canada Splits with Latin America on Cuba and Drug War
El Espectador, Colombia: Summit of Americas Could Mark Start of ‘Soft’ Drug War
Minuto Uno, Argentina: Summit Leaders Seek U.S. Backing on 'British Aggression'
El Comercio, Ecuador: To Send Message on Cuba, Correa Should Go to Summit
El Universal, Colombia: With No Hope of Doing So, Colombians Ponder Meeting Obama
La Jornada, Mexico: The Lesson on Prohibition that the U.S. Refuses to Learn
El Universal, Mexico: Before ‘Aiding’ Mexico, U.S. Must Deal with Own Corruption
La Jornada, Mexico: With Tale of Drug Lord, U.S. Builds Case for Mexico Intervention
El Universal, Mexico: President Calderon Implores U.S.: 'No More Weapons!'
La Jornada, Mexico: Mexico Drug Violence: 'Business is Business'
Semana, Colombia: By Opposing U.S. on Drugs, President Santos Shows 'Guts'
El Universal, Mexico: Mexicans Must Face the Truth: We are at War
La Jornada, Mexico: U.S. Finally Admits to Infiltration By Drug Cartels
La Jornada, Mexico: Rejecting U.S. Drug War is Essential for Mexico's Survival
La Jornada, Mexico: An Open Letter to Obama: Learn Your History, Sir!
La Jornada, Mexico: Mexico: The Birthplace of U.S. Interventionism
La Jornada, Mexico: 'Happy Talk' Hides U.S. Encroachment on Mexico
La Jornada, Mexico: Senators and U.S. Drones: What Else are They Hiding?
La Jornada, Mexico: U.S. Consulate Deaths are No More Tragic than Our Own
La Jornada, Mexico: U.S. 'No Help' in Combating Drug Mafias
El Universal, Mexico: Hypocrite on Drugs, Obama Must 'Clean Own House'
El Heraldo, Honduras: Drug Busts in U.S. Belie the True Danger …
La Jornada, Mexico: Calderon's Bush-Style Militarization of Mexican Politics
Excelsior, Mexico: Mexico Needs 'Deeds, Not Words' From Obama White House
El Universal , Mexico: How Mexico Could Legalize Pot - Whether U.S. Likes it or Not
Excelsior, Mexico: As Blood Flows, U.S. Gets Serious About the Battle for Mexico
Excelsior, Mexico: Relations Between U.S. and Mexico are Deteriorating
La Tercera, Chile Mexico's Drug War: No Way Out But to Fight On
Semana, Colombia: Michael Phelps and American Hypocricy on the Use of Drugs

 

 

Cartagena Mayor Elías Terán called for people to show some respect, as he felt media were telling the story “as if the city was full of prostitutes.” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed regret that the “escort incident” may not only overshadow the progress made at the summit, but could also ruin “an opportunity to show how much Colombia has changed in recent years.” These are both undoubtedly fair points. But likewise, we should also regret that such a crisis hasn’t led to genuine reflection on the constant, dangerous and undeniable growth of sex tourism in Cartagena, where many minors are exploited. This really is our problem - and one that we must attack with greater resolve.

 

Long before this scandal erupted, the people of Cartagena found themselves fighting the dark side of tourism. They warned the country that 500,000 people there live in extreme poverty and that as much as was possible had been done to shut down all avenues leading to the deplorable prostitution of minors. This has been undertaken through campaigns created by the Rebirth Foundation [Fundación Renacer], the District Administration [la Administración Distrital] and UNICEF. It is time for the entire nation to recognize the problem. Colombians cannot continue to treat Cartagena as if we, too, were foreigners.

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[Posted by Worldmeets.US April 28, 08:29pm]

 

 

 







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