MFA RESPONDS TO TIP DEMARCHE

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 003025

SIPDIS


NSC FOR CBARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2014
TAGS: PREL PHUM KWMN VE
SUBJECT: MFA RESPONDS TO TIP DEMARCHE

REF: SECSTATE 194796

Classified By: DCM STEPHEN G. MCFARLAND FOR REASONS 1.4 (d)

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Summary
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1. (C) Responding to reftel demarche regarding trafficking
in persons, September 21, Venezuelan MFA officials insisted
that the TIP report had not accurately assessed Venezuela's
anti-trafficking initiatives under its treaty obligations
with the United Nations. PolOff reiterated USG reasoning
behind placing Venezuela on Tier 3, and emphasized that the
Embassy had sought to obtain required information from the
GOV, but had been unsuccessful. The MFA officials offered to
provide information if the USG would consider removing
Venezuela from Tier 3. When PolOff noted that such
information would be welcome for next year's report, the MFA
official retracted the offer. One official said the GOV does
not give information to foreign governments, only to the
United Nations, with whom it has a treaty responsibility.
Septel will report GOV police update on TIPs to our legatt.
End Summary.


2. (C) PolOff delivered reftel demarche to the MFA Director
for International Organized Crime, Drugs and Corruption Ana
Cazzadore on September 21. Also present were assistant to the
Foreign Minister Magali Garcia, North American Office
Director Rebeca Guevara, and USA Desk Officer Reynaldo
Pulido. Cazzadore and Guevara insisted that the TIP report
had not accurately assessed Venezuela's anti-trafficking
initiatives under its treaty obligations with the United
Nations. PolOff told the MFA officers that failure to
cooperate with the TIP reporting system is taken as evidence
of a problem, and that the Embassy had made efforts to obtain
information from various GOV agencies, but had been
unsuccessful. Guevara said the GOV does not give information
to foreign governments, it only gives it to the United
Nations, with whom it has assumed a treaty responsibility.


3. (C) PolOff pointed to our demarche delivered on June 14
which indicated the steps that needed to be taken to avoid
sanctions. Cazzadore told PolOff that she chairs a
semi-weekly meeting of 22 representatives from different GOV
agencies on trafficking. She said there were serious problems
implementing anti-trafficking initiatives in Venezuela
because there was no law against it, and the Attorney
General's office would not pursue it judicially. She said a
law was being drafted. PolOff told Cazzadore that the Embassy
was willing to work with the MFA to identify anti-trafficking
initiatives, to ensure that next year's report was as
accurate as possible.


4. (C) Guevara asked exactly what programs would be effected
by the sanctions, and for clarification on whether the USG
would oppose international loans. She noted that the reftel
talking points clarified this question. Guevara insisted that
the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of
2003 authorized the State Department to send an amended
report at any time to Congress. She asked whether the Embassy
would consider this, given her contention that the 2003
report was in error due to our not getting the correct
information.


5. (C) Guevara pushed for a promise to consider
re-classifying Venezuela this year, in return for information
from the MFA from 2003 in a subsequent conversation on
September 22. She would not commit to cooperation next year,
however, insisting that the GOV does not provide information
formally to other governments, only to the United Nations.
Informal cooperation would depend on a higher level decision,
she said, which would depend on our response to the question
of re-classification. (Note: In a separate exchange with the
Ministry of Labor regarding information for the human rights
report, the GOV also told us to look to the United Nations
for information.)

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Comment
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6. (C) The existence of an anti-trafficking task force at
the MFA had not been mentioned in any previous meeting on the
subject of trafficking in persons. If it indeed functions, it
could serve as a clearinghouse of information on trafficking

for us in the future. The suggested quid pro quo -- making
information available if we agree to take Venezuela off the
list -- strikes us as unacceptable, but possibly the GOV
will come up with a better offer. For the moment, it appears
that the GOV is carrying out a two-pronged strategy: public
assertions that it is cooperating with a higher authority,
the United Nations, and not responding to Washington; and
indications by Venezuelan law enforcement that it is
responding to TIPs issues (septel).
Brownfield


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2004CARACA03025 - CONFIDENTIAL