Prostitution on the rise in Chiriqui

Ana, 28, said that she is a prostitute, because it is the only job she can find to support her children, after their father left them.

Prostitution has become a business according to some residents, who feel that the women who are dedicated to this activity do not have any shame. and there is a growth of pimps who dedicate themselves to selling their girls to men who are willing to pay for sex.

Many women say that they do it out of necessity, others for pleasure and there are few who do not want to work and prefer to find a man with money, who can support them.

Juan, 47, is a taxi driver with 15 years experience. Everyday he goes out at 7:00 a.m. and finishes his work between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. depending on business during the day.

Juan said that prostitutes works at all times and during the day he receives calls or somebody can stop him in a corner and the passenger asks him to take them to whorehouses. If his taxi has another passenger, they prefer to wait for another car. On those occasions the women decide what course to take and preferably they choose a taxi driver unknown to the hooker.

The places where they pick up that kind of passengers are close to parks, banking areas, outside casinos, entertainment centers and restaurants.

They also receive phone calls from hotels, restaurants, bordellos to pick up couples and drop them off in different places, on other occasions the passengers do not expect to meet their own neighbor, who happens to be the taxi driver.

In the taxi business there are drivers who are kept in contact with those interested to go out with a lady, especially tourists. They are well rewarded with tips and well paid commissions, especially when the prostitutes are charging a minimum of $50 apart from other additional charges for a happy night or day.

A taxi driver who collaborates with them could earn between $15 to $25 a day depending on what they charge.

The taxi drivers say that they carry a lot of couples to rent by the hour hotels. The women can be young, single, university students or married. Their ages vary from 18 to 40 years old.

The ladies of the night prefer a mature man, preferably retired or with money who can give them a nice standard of living. The women give drivers their telephone numbers, so they can help them find clients. They want older men, not young ones, because they do not have enough to spend.