ECUADOR TIP UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 002773 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/PPC, WHA/AND, G/TIP, AND AID E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL EC SUBJECT: ECUADOR TIP UPDATE REF: A. QUITO 2595 ¶B. QUITO 2447 ¶1. Summary. Ecuadorian police conducted nearly 50 raids September 16 - 30 and found 55 minors suspected as victims of trafficking in persons (TIP). USAID signed a $300,000 agreement with Geneva Global to begin a small grants program aimed at prevention, prosecution and protection of TIP. Press play was heavy on the Angel Mariscal and Burdet Cedeno child pornography cases. The Embassy has provided TIP messages to local media. Several TIP-related reform bills are pending in Congress. End Summary. Minors Found in Police Raids -------------- ¶2. DINAPEN, the police unit dedicated to protecting children, reported that from September 16 - 23, the police rescued 77 minors in 26 raids of bars, brothels, and nightclubs, 22 of whom are believed to have engaged in prostitution, in these raids. Most of the children were found in southern Ecuador in the provinces of Guayas, Azuay, and Loja. In raids conducted September 24 - 30, police rescued 122 minors, of whom 43 were believed to be involved in prostitution. Twenty-five of the 43 minors were found in one disco bar, that prostitutes frequent, in Esmeraldas. Most minors found in both weeks' raids were returned to relatives, except those found in Guayas province who were all taken to "Patio de Mi Pana", a group that shelters adolescents. We plan to visit shortly to learn more about its services to TIP victims. USAID Launches Grants to Combat TIP and Assist Victims -------------- -------------- ¶3. On September 30, USAID and NGO Geneva Global signed a cooperative agreement establishing a small grants program to combat TIP in the areas of prevention, rehabilitation, and prosecution. USAID provided $300,000, and from November 2004 to September 2006, the grant should fund 12 to 16 projects. If successful, the grants would provide: education of potential 40,000 potential victims about the risks of trafficking; education of 10,000 community members, teachers, and leaders about the dangers of trafficking in their communities; job skill training for 1,500 victims; psychological and medical treatment for 1,000 victims; legal assistance for 250 victims; and training on combating TIP for 150 public officials and lawyers. The AID grants are part of our strategy to supplement Ecuadorian government and civil society's existing efforts and lead to the creation of a self-sustaining network of integrated victims assistance centers throughout the country. Getting the Message Out to the Public -------------- ¶4. On October 4, PAS distributed a Voice of America editorial that spoke out against TIP. Sixty radio stations in Ecuador aired the program. Child Pornography Cases Advance in Courts -------------- ¶5. On September 24, a U.S. judge sentenced Angel Mariscal, an Ecuadorian citizen and legal permanent resident in the U.S., to 100 years on 7 charges of child pornography. In Cuba and Ecuador, he filmed pornography videos involving 150 children, some of whom were less than 12 years old. Jesenia Rezabala, Mariscal's ex-girlfriend, was sentenced to three years in Guayaquil for corruption of minors. U.S. prosecutors said Mariscal made more than 300 videos. Police in Guayas province determined that Mariscal's child pornography network abused more than 80 Ecuadorian children. National press play on this case was heavy. According to media, a court will try the Burdet Cedeno couple on four charges of raping minor girls and one charge of drugging minors. These charges are related to the couple's well-known child pornography and sexual abuse case where a court convicted the couple on three charges and sentenced them to 12, 16, and 20 years. (Ref B) Competing Reforms Before Congress -------------- ¶6. Several bills to codify TIP and penalize involved parties are still pending in Congress. We are reviewing them to determine how well they address trafficking, and will encourage Congress to move quickly on the most promising legislative reforms. Septel will analyze the proposed reforms. KENNEY