GOV EFFORTS TO COMBAT TIPS

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 003124

SIPDIS


NSC FOR CBARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2014
TAGS: PREL PHUM KWMN VE
SUBJECT: GOV EFFORTS TO COMBAT TIPS

REF: CARACAS 03025

Classified By: Abelardo A. Arias, Political Counselor,
for Reason 1.4(d)

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Summary
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1. (C) Venezuela's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) chairs a
22-person interdepartmental working group that meets
approximately once a month to coordinate efforts to combat
trafficking in persons. Representatives from the MFA and the
Ministry of Interior and Justice (MIJ) told Poloff on
September 27, 28 and 30, that specific action plans for
individual Ministries have been identified, and they will
begin implementation in late October. The national
investigative police (CICPC) is currently working on 2
international human trafficking case involving 7 women. The
GOV appears more energized on TIP, and we will continue to
engage them on this issue. End Summary.

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Meetings and Plans
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2. (C) National investigative police (CICPC) Interpol
division commissioner Henry Matos told Poloff September 27
that he and other Ministry of Interior and Justice (MIJ)
personnel were part of a working group chaired by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Matos said the MFA has
provided courses in spreading awareness, prevention, and
coordination (interagency and international) to
representatives of 15 different Ministries or agencies.
Matos provided Poloff with a sample of an awareness and
prevention pamphlet the GOV intends to print and distribute
as part of its awareness campaign. He also provided a
four-page plan produced by the MFA as a result of what Matos
said were monthly meetings. According to the plan, the MIJ's
Directorate General of Crime Prevention would act as a
clearinghouse for human trafficking cooperation.


3. (C) Mirna Lopez, MIJ Assistant Director of Crime
Prevention, told Poloff on September 28 that the MIJ planned
to launch pilot training programs for law enforcement,
government officials, and civil society at the end of
October. The pilot programs would include awareness,
prevention and coordination training. If the pilots are
successful, Lopez said the MIJ would expand the program to
regularly scheduled training sessions by the first quarter of

2005.


4. (C) On September 30, MFA Director for International
Organized Crime, Drugs, and Corruption, Ana Cassadore,
confirmed that the pamphlet provided by Matos was to be
printed and distributed to all consulates by the end of
October. Cassadore said the Ministry of Education would also
be distributing the pamphlets within Venezuela. Asked about
statistics to determine the extent of the problem in
Venezuela, Cassadore said the National Statistics Institute
was "just now" being invited to take part in the working
group. Cassadore and Otilia Kaufman from the Crime
Prevention Unit of the MIJ noted that the draft Law Against
Organized Crime makes trafficking in persons punishable by
8-10 years in prison, and has provisions for additional time
if the victim is a child or if trafficking was done for
sexual exploitation. However, the law has languished in the
National Assembly since 2001. Cassadore asserted that the
MFA twice in 2004 requested action on the proposed law, but
could do no more. Lopez, Kaufman, and Cassadore all asserted
that the lack of legislation would not prevent the
Ministries' implementation of the current action plans.


5. (C) As in meeting with human rights officer September 21
(reftel),Cassadore reiterated the GOV's interest in being
removed from Tier 3 early. She asked that the Embassy send
an amended report that "accurately" reflects GOV's efforts to
combat human trafficking. Poloff told Cassadore that it
would be prudent to review the information regarding GOV
efforts before discussing next steps.

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Work in Progress

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6. (C) Commissioner Matos pointed out that indirectly, using
existing laws against kidnapping or child protection laws,
the CICPC can obtain warrants to arrest perpetrators and
cooperate with international law enforcement to secure the
safe return of victims. Matos said CICPC is working on two
international human trafficking cases involving 7 women.
Mexican law-enforcement officials cooperated with CICPC to
return two trafficked women to their families, but CICPC is
still working to apprehend the perpetrator in Venezuela.
According to Matos, five women were also trafficked to Spain,
but despite cooperation with Spanish law-enforcement, the GOV
has been unable to secure their return and apprehend those
responsible.

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Comment
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7. (C) MFA and MIJ have put effort into developing a
coordinated action plan to combat human trafficking. While
concrete plans appear to have been developed, so far there
has been only training for working group representatives.
Efforts to go beyond awareness and prevention plans will
continue to be hampered as long as there is a lack of
anti-trafficking legislation. The recent coordination
between the MFA and the Interior (police) Ministry is
positive, as is the current CICPC effort. While they will
never admit it, the TIP sanctions have motivated the GOV to
take some concrete steps.


Brownfield


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