Potosí authorities investigate suspected exploitation of Ayoreo people

Authorities in Potosí, Bolivia, are investigating the suspected exploitation of Ayoreo people, including minors and elderly individuals, involved in street begging. Following reports from residents, the Defensoría de la Niñez y Adolescencia and local police intervened to intercept a group of people arriving from Santa Cruz.

Investigators are working to determine if the group is victims of human trafficking or forced exploitation. The intervention noted elderly individuals in wheelchairs and children being used for mendicancy. This case has raised significant concern due to a previous incident in Cochabamba involving the movement of Ayoreo minors for similar activities, which resulted in the death of a nine-month-old infant.