Granada, the colonial city of Nicaragua turns 500 years old with serious challenges

Granada, the colonial city of Nicaragua known as “La Gran Sultana” for its Andalusian-inspired architecture, celebrates 500 years since its Spanish founding with challenges that go beyond preserving its precious architecture. Child abuse and sexual tourism have become its most serious problems.

This city, which stands out for the conservation of its colonial houses, is a benchmark for tourism in Nicaragua. It is located on the slopes of the Mombacho volcano, 1,345 meters high, on the shores of one of the largest lakes in the Central American country, known as Lake Granada, which is famous for being the only one in the world to have sharks in fresh water. .

“For me, the attractive thing about Granada is the islets, the beach, the volcano and its colonial style, its colonial houses. As a Granada native, reaching 500 years makes us proud,” he tells Voice of America Juan Cabrera, a merchant originally from the colonial city.

The city, founded by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Hernández de Córdoba in 1524 and located about 39 kilometers from the capital Managua, boasts its cobbled streets, horse-drawn carriages and its colonial infrastructure, ideal for the delight of foreigners and nationals.

Official data from Nicaragua estimate that in 2023 alone, the tourism sector contributed 600 million dollars to the national economy and Granada was one of the main destinations for visitors, according to Anasha Campbell, co-director of the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute, told official media.

Campbell pointed out that among the visitors who arrived in Nicaragua at that time, Central American tourists stood out with 33%, followed by North America with 21%, he highlighted.

Child abuse and sexual tourism.

But the beauty of Granada has not only attracted tourists, but also illicit activities that have become a headache for the authorities.

According to reports from human rights organizations, the city faces challenges in the fight against child abuse and sexual tourism.

Data from years ago from Codeni, an NGO that worked with issues related to Children and Adolescents, estimated that nearly 20,000 Nicaraguan children and adolescents were victims of sexual exploitation in some of its manifestations such as pedophilia, pornography, prostitution, tourism. sexual or trafficking of minors in this Central American country.

The Nicaraguan government has said that it has promoted policies to prevent the increase in child abuse in cities like Granada, however experts say that these are policies that fail due to other actions, such as the mass cancellation of NGOs. In fact, the NGO Codeni, which kept figures on abuses of minors, was closed by the left-wing government of Daniel Ortega in 2023, as well as more than 3,500 organizations non-governmental more.

“Organizations that work for the rights of women and girls had denounced that sex tourism. It was Vox Populi (voice of the people) that tourists living in Granada or visiting, exploited minors in Granada, but also in other tourist sites such as San Juan del Sur,” he told the Voice of America the sociologist María Teresa Blandón, director of the NGO La Corriente.

“Unfortunately we were never able to count on public policies that would allow us to stop this very serious problem,” he said.

The State Department’s most recent report on global human rights practices found that Nicaragua was a popular destination for sex tourism in 2023, as it has long been in the absence of preventive measures and prosecution of sex-related crimes. treats.

The Nicaraguan government rejection the State Department report. “Your reports are from you, about you and for you. We do not recognize them,” said Nicaraguan government spokesperson and vice president, Rosario Murillo, in televised statements.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels Youtube, WhatsApp and to newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.