[1] In 2010 Nicaragua was a transit country for migrants from Africa and East Asia en route to the United States; some may have fallen victim to human trafficking.
Trafficking victims were recruited in rural areas for work in urban centers, particularly Managua, and subsequently coerced into prostitution.
Adults and children were subjected to conditions of forced labor in agriculture (especially in the production of coffee and bananas), the fishing industry (collecting shellfish), and for involuntary domestic servitude within the country and in Costa Rica.
For example, there is no specific school age in Nicaragua and the policy to abolish and protect child labor has not yet been fully implemented.
[10] The Government of Nicaragua sustained modest efforts to combat human trafficking through law enforcement activities during the reporting period.
Article 182 of the Penal Code prohibits trafficking in persons for the purposes of slavery, sexual exploitation, and adoption, prescribing penalties of 7 to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The government provided a temporary legal alternative to the removal of foreign victims to countries where they may face hardship or retribution.
Authorities partnered with an NGO in northern Nicaraguan to raise awareness about the commercial sexual exploitation of children; however, the government made limited efforts to combat child sex tourism.
[11] After the socio-political crisis of 2019, National Coalition against Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons (CONATT) recorded a doubling of victims compared to 2018.