As part of a city-wide crackdown on organized crime and human trafficking, Medellín Mayor Federico Gutiérrez was proposed a ban on short-term apartment rentals to visiting outsiders.
thecitypaperbogota.com
The Mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez,
has submitted a proposal to the recently inaugurated Tourism Secretariat aimed at regulating short-term apartment rentals in the city. This initiative comes in the wake of mounting evidence suggesting that foreigners are exploiting private accommodations to sexually abuse vulnerable girls.
The most recent case involves a masonry worker from Arizona, Richard Opalinski. Colombian authorities, in collaboration with Libertas International and Homeland Security, apprehended Opalinski after he hosted parties within a Medellín Airbnb with underage girls. Colombia’s National Police revealed that Opalinski coerced young girls into performing sexual acts while administering drugs to facilitate their abuse. Incriminating evidence, including training bras and small girls’ clothing, was discovered in his short-term rental apartment.