ABSTRACT
This chapter explores Mexico's efforts as the first country to launch the campaign in Latin America. The Blue Heart project is intended to create awareness of human trafficking and its impact on society, and to combat all forms of the practice. As a global initiative, Blue Heart promotes coordinated efforts between the signatories to the Palermo Protocol against human trafficking. Ultimately, it aims to build a collective culture that denounces the human trade and is conscious of its global consequences. In Mexico drug cartels and related kinds of organized crime networks have enlisted thousands of children to transport drugs and commit other crimes. Special offices have been established that specialize in handling the cases and protecting the victims by offering them physical shelter, medical assistance, psychological attention, and social case work management. Human trafficking is the third-largest global criminal enterprise, surpassed only by weapons distribution and drug trafficking.
