Representatives of sex workers and tolerance centers in Quito ask to lift the restrictions to avoid informal work

nightclubs, tolerance centers, nightlife centers, training centers and gyms that carry out contact activities in Quito are located suspended until January 25, 2022. This, according to the measurements of epidemiological red alert taken by the municipal authorities due to the increase in infections by COVID-19.

The measures will be analyzed next Tuesday and could be maintained for a long time, will depend on the report issued by the Ministry of Health capital.

However, representatives of tolerance centers and sex workers They ask that the measure not be maintained, because the restriction generates informal work and the consequences, they warn, can be worse for the health situation.

Lourdes Torres, president of the Association for the Defense of Women (Asoprodemu), pointed out that in the Metropolitan District of Quito there is a approximately 2,600 sex workers and that 90% had returned to the tolerance centers with the pilot plans undertaken together with the Municipality of Quito.

But he warns that with the Suspension of activities will once again return to informal sex work, They took to the streets exposing themselves to infection and abuse such as robbery or rape, after the pilot plan they did not all return, but this the number of girls on the street will increase, they are not going to stop working because they have families to support,” said Torres.

For Natalie Valverde, legal adviser to Asoprodemu, “The rope always breaks at the weakest point”, argues that other activities such as restaurants, cinemas and shopping centers do not suspend activities and could be places with a higher risk of contagion. “If it is suspended for eight days, fine, but the measure should not be prolonged and that alternatives to be able to reactivate, for example, non-consumption of alcoholic beverages, capacity and reduced working hours”, he added.

Bertha Yar, owner of a tolerance center in the south of the city, she feels affected because they spent more than $3,000 on the adaptation of its premises to be part of the pilot plan and be approved for opening with biosecurity measures.

“In the premises, security is provided to the workers, in addition they are provides masks, gel and condoms, on the street they don’t have all this. If we continue without working we are going to go bankrupt”, he added.

In addition, he pointed out that it is not only a loss for the owners of the tolerance centers and the sex workers, since they also have employees such as the deejay, waiters, security, who will not have economic support due to the suspension of activities.

Asoprodemu representatives reported that they attended meetings with the president of the national COE, Juan Zapata, and Mayor Santiago Guarderas, With this, they hope that the authorities will take measures in favor of this union.

This newspaper requested a interview with the Secretary of Health of Quito, however, until the publication of this informative note there was no response. (I)