What is the age of consent across South America?

The age of consent across South America varies by jurisdiction, codified in laws that can dictate permitted sexual activities, participant genders, or close-in-age exemptions. While Guyana is the only country in the region where male same-sex sexual conduct is illegal, Paraguay and Suriname are the only countries with a higher age of consent for same-sex relations compared to opposite-sex relations.

What we know

• The age of consent varies by jurisdiction across South American sovereign states and dependent territories, as codified in local laws. [1, 2]
• Guyana is the only country in South America where male same-sex sexual conduct is illegal. [2]
• Paraguay and Suriname are the only countries in South America featuring a higher age of consent for same-sex sexual relations than for opposite-sex relations. [2]

Where to go next

• compared withHow does the age of consent work in North America?
• the bigger pictureWhat legal definition constitutes the age of consent?
• compared withWhich European countries set the age of consent above 16?
• how it workedHow are close-in-age exemptions applied in statutory law?
• what followedWhat are the legal consequences of breaching age of consent laws?
• an unexpected connectionHow do Caribbean territories handle same-sex age of consent?While South America features only two countries with unequal same-sex consent ages, several North American and Caribbean territories similarly enforce higher age requirements specifically for same-sex relations.

Sources

• [1]Ages of consent in South America (Wikidata Q3280594) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Age of consent in South America · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Age of consent · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Age of consent in North America · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Age of consent in Europe · CC BY-SA 4.0