{"id":14814,"date":"2025-07-21T11:05:26","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T09:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/?p=14814"},"modified":"2025-07-21T11:09:48","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T09:09:48","slug":"alejandra-mangano-eng","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/en\/alejandra-mangano-eng\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cWe aim to identify those responsible for exploitation and drug trafficking by targeting the highest levels of the chain of accountability\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mar\u00eda Alejandra M\u00e1ngano<\/b> is one of the leading figures in Argentina\u2019s fight against human trafficking. A law graduate from the University of Buenos Aires, she also serves as Co-Coordinator of the Trafficking Network within the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors (AIAMP).<\/a><\/p>\n

Firm in her views on the State\u2019s role in addressing organised crime, she has led several high-profile cases, combining legal expertise with social sensitivity. Her career reflects a consistent commitment to justice with a human rights approach.<\/p>\n

M\u00e1ngano is a key ally of the COPOLAD III programme<\/b> in its efforts to incorporate a gender perspective into drug trafficking investigations.<\/p>\n

COPOLAD III supports AIAMP in strengthening the gender dimension in the link between drug trafficking and human trafficking, particularly by fostering collaboration between the Ibero-American Networks of Specialised Prosecutors: the Network against Trafficking in Persons and Migrant Smuggling (REDTRAM), the Drug Prosecutors\u2019 Network (RFAI), and the Gender Network (REG).<\/p>\n

The joint work between these three networks and justice system actors across various AIAMP countries has resulted in a regional diagnosis, enabling a better understanding of the contexts and typologies observed in the region, particularly regarding the dual role of victim\/offender. This has led to the recent adoption of the \u201cGuidelines for addressing cases in which women and LGTBIQ+ trafficking victims are involved in the production, transport, or sale of drugs\u201d<\/i>.<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

What is the general context of sexual exploitation within drug trafficking?<\/b><\/h3>\n

We began to notice the involvement of people in situations of exploitation, especially in the transport and distribution phases of drugs. This includes the use of so-called \u201chuman couriers\u201d \u2014 individuals who carry narcotics in their bodies across borders. In 2023, we carried out a diagnosis confirming that human exploitation is indeed taking place at this stage, primarily affecting women.<\/p>\n

\n

Was this diagnosis carried out regionally?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Yes, it was a regional diagnosis conducted by COPOLAD III with the support of several countries. We found that exploitation occurs not only during transport but also in the production phase \u2014 particularly in cultivation \u2014 and in retail distribution, often linked to sexual exploitation.<\/p>\n

\n

It\u2019s striking how women tend to occupy the lowest levels of the drug trafficking chain. Could you expand on that?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Indeed. There is a narco-culture structured around patriarchal power dynamics. Women, trans people, adolescents and children are often used in the most vulnerable stages \u2014 such as transport and distribution \u2014 due to their profile and circumstances.<\/p>\n

\n

How can the gender perspective be better integrated into the justice system?<\/b><\/h3>\n

We are working to highlight extreme situations of exploitation where individuals are forced into illegal activities through physical or psychological coercion. There are legal tools available to prevent the criminalisation of trafficking victims by recognising them as victims, not offenders.<\/p>\n

\n

Why does Latin America have the highest female prison population for drug-related offences?<\/b><\/h3>\n

The production phase is more hidden, while the distribution phase is more visible, making it easier for those in vulnerable positions to be detected and imprisoned.<\/p>\n

\n

Some argue that the idea of proportionality and vulnerability is too lenient. How would you respond?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Our aim is to identify those truly responsible for exploitation and drug trafficking \u2014 those operating behind the scenes \u2014 and to target the upper levels of the chain of accountability through state action. The goal is not to criminalise those who are coerced into participating due to their vulnerability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mar\u00eda Alejandra M\u00e1ngano is one of the leading figures in Argentina\u2019s fight against human trafficking. A law graduate from the University of Buenos Aires, she also serves as Co-Coordinator of the Trafficking Network within the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors (AIAMP). Firm in her views on the State\u2019s role in addressing organised crime, she has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":14810,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"Alejandra M\u00e1ngano, Co-Prosecutor of the Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office for Human Trafficking and Exploitation (PROTEX), Argentina","format":"standard","override":[{"template":"3","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"no-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"0","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-715","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-715"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"jnews_post_split":{"post_split":[{"template":"1","tag":"h2","numbering":"asc","mode":"normal","first":"0","enable_toc":"0","toc_type":"normal"}]},"footnotes":""},"categories":[221],"tags":[487,136,527,261],"class_list":["post-14814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en","tag-aiamp","tag-narco","tag-trata-en","tag-women"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14814"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14814"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14815,"href":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14814\/revisions\/14815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copolad.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}