Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ASUNCION6
2005-01-04 08:33:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Asuncion
Cable title:
G/TIP VISIT REVIEWS PARAGUAY'S EFFORTS
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASUNCION 000006
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR G/TIP AND WHA/PPC (PUCCETTI)
DEPT PASS USAID LAC/AA
NSC FOR MIKE DEMPSEY
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SMIG KCRM PGOV PREL ASEC PA
SUBJECT: G/TIP VISIT REVIEWS PARAGUAY'S EFFORTS
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASUNCION 000006
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR G/TIP AND WHA/PPC (PUCCETTI)
DEPT PASS USAID LAC/AA
NSC FOR MIKE DEMPSEY
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SMIG KCRM PGOV PREL ASEC PA
SUBJECT: G/TIP VISIT REVIEWS PARAGUAY'S EFFORTS
1. Summary: On December 6, 7, and 8, G/TIP Senior Reporting
Officer Linda Brown visited Paraguay as part of a
four-country tour of South America. In meetings with Embassy
officers, GOP officials, and representatives of NGOs, Brown
discussed Paraguay's progress in combating trafficking in
persons since the most recent TIP Report, which classified
Paraguay as a "Tier 2 Watch List" country. The two dominant
themes of discussion were Paraguayan efforts to prosecute
traffickers and the development of services for trafficking
victims repatriated to Paraguay. During the visit,
interlocutors stressed the high profile that TIP has assumed
among GOP officers over the past 18 months, but also
acknowledged the deficiencies in Paraguay's anti-TIP efforts
that the GOP must continue to remedy. End summary.
2. Brown had a number of meetings with various officials and
NGOs, raising a number of issues in Paraguay's efforts to
combat TIP.
3. Ambassador Keane
--The Ambassador reviewed Post's engagement of the GOP on
TIP, focusing upon efforts to encourage the Attorney
General's office, the Supreme Court, and the Foreign Ministry
to supply data on arrests and prosecutions and urge
prosecutors to be more aggressive on TIP cases.
--The Ambassador also described Post's $155,000 bilateral
project with the Secretariat for Women and the Secretariat
for Children and Adolescents, focusing upon its prospects for
improving the quality of services available to rescued
trafficking victims.
--Brown explained the purpose of her regional visit to
Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru, noting that she sought
to review the progress that these Tier 2 countries have made
since the publication of the 2004 TIP Report. She agreed on
the centrality of encouraging prosecutions of traffickers,
and pointed out that G/TIP plans to become more aggressive in
engaging countries on law enforcement.
4. USAID Mission Deputy Director Sergio Guzman, Democracy
Team Leader Steve Marma, Developmental Assistance Specialist
for Maternal Health Josceline Betancourt
--Guzman and Betancourt work with health programs in
Paraguay, and noted that TIP has health implications in
Paraguay, ranging from early pregnancy to sexually
transmitted diseases (including HIV/AIDS) and mental
disorders. Brown discussed the link between prostitution and
sex trafficking, observing that legalized prostitution
increases the number of women trafficked into sex slavery,
and leads to the spread of these health problems.
--Marma described NGO activities in Paraguay, pointing out
that NGOs, and civil society generally, have not always been
successful in working with the GOP, which views them more as
competitors than as partners.
5. Foreign Ministry Director of International Organizations
Julio Peralta
--Peralta described the interministerial working group on
TIP, which he chairs. He discussed the state of the GOP's
national action plan on trafficking, which it presented in
early 2004. He reviewed the visit of Juan Miguel Petit, the
UN's special rapporteur on child sex abuse.
--Peralta was the only GOP official to ask directly about
Paraguay's prospective tier placement on the next annual
report. Brown indicated that tier placements will not be
contemplated until well into 2005, and that her trip was only
a preliminary effort at gathering information for the next
TIP Report.
--He also discussed the Interamerican Development Bank's
trafficking project with the GOP, which focuses upon studies
to determine the extent of TIP here and the most common
routes used by traffickers.
6. Minister for Women Maria Jose Argana
--The Minister discussed Post's bilateral TIP project and the
timetable the Secretariats for Women and Children and
Adolescents developed.
--She noted her working relationship with Phillip Linderman
(a former G/TIP reporting officer for South America now
detailed to the OAS, where he is organizing an
anti-trafficking program),and noted that she would be
visiting Washington during the first half of 2005 and hoped
to meet with G/TIP officials while there.
7. Minister for Children and Adolescents Mercedes Britez de
Buzo
--The Minister described efforts to combat the trafficking in
children, pointing to participation in Embassy Montevideo's
regional project, participation in the Embassy's bilateral
project, and efforts to criminalize child pornography.
--She hinted at the continued tug of war with Women's
Ministry over leadership of anti-TIP initiatives within the
GOP, contradicting Minister Argana by claiming that most
Paraguayan trafficking victims are younger than 18.
-- She spoke of the need to prosecute traffickers but
conceded, based upon her own experiences as a prosecutor and
judge, that it is not career enhancing in the judicial system
to focus on trafficking or children's issues.
8. International Programs Coordinator of the Secretariat for
Repatriations Luz Gamelia Ibarra
--The meeting was principally a general discussion of the
history of the Secretariat for Repatriations and the
challenges of repatriating Paraguayan women trafficked
overseas. Gamilia discussed GOP efforts to cooperate with
Spain and Argentina in specific 2004 cases, such as the women
trafficked from Villarica to Spain, and two minor girls from
Coronel Oviedo rescued from forced prostitution in Cordoba,
Argentina. She discussed plans to create an "attention
center" to serve trafficking victims seeking reintegration
into Paraguay society.
--Gamelia described the Secretariat's cooperation with local
bus companies especially La Encarnacena in securing free
transportation of TIP victims from Argentina back to Paraguay.
--Gamelia noted the Secretariat's difficulty in repatriating
victims from Spain because of the cost.
9. Attorney General Oscar Latorre and Prosecutor Teresa
Martinez
--Latorre offered general remarks about the importance of
stopping trafficking, but was not positive about prospects
for the creation of a specialized unit of anti-trafficking
prosecutors.
--Martinez described the history of TIP prosecutions in
Paraguay, observing that the issue was unknown just 18 months
ago, and is now an important focus in the Ministerio Publico.
She mentioned several ongoing cases, including the GOP's
efforts to prosecute traffickers in the Villarica (which has
since resulted in two convictions and prison sentences) and
Coronel Oviedo cases.
--Brown explained the origins of the USG's interest in
obtaining data on prosecutions. Martinez noted that she is
working on the project in the Attorney General's Office. The
task has been difficult because there is no central
repository for the data. Instead data must be obtained from
individual prosecutors. Martinez described the difficulties
in getting victims to cooperate, and the Attorney General's
lack of legal authority to investigate independently.
10. Independent Women's Rights Activist and Consultant Andrea
Cid
--The discussion primarily dealt with Paraguayan culture and
the ways in which it complicates both government and NGO
efforts to fight trafficking. In the eyes of many here,
prostitution is not a bad thing in and of itself. Given the
levels of stark poverty in the country, many feel that
prostitution is a legitimate way to earn a living. Many
families, she said, knowingly sell their own daughters into
prostitution abroad in the hope that the girls will send
money home.
--The legal culture in Paraguay complicates efforts to stop
trafficking. She described the Penal Code and the entire
judicial system as lenient, with laws prescribing mild
penalties for crimes such as trafficking. The authorities
are unable to stop traffickers from threatening victims who
file complaints with prosecutors.
11. Comment: Paraguay needs to place emphasis upon law
enforcement and prosecutions of traffickers. As Brown noted,
other countries have arrested the owners of brothels to which
Paraguayan women have been trafficked. Paraguay needs to use
the information acquired in these cases to track down and
prosecute the traffickers recruiting the girls in their home
towns, as happened in Villarica. Nevertheless, that
discussion of trafficking in Paraguay has progressed to this
level illustrates the higher profile given to trafficking.
It is a priority across the GOP, as the creation of an
interministerial roundtable indicates. Post is contributing
to Paraguayan efforts through its bilateral assistance
program. We appreciate GOP efforts to supply us with data on
trafficking prosecutions, and are encouraged by the
conviction and sentencing of the two traffickers in Villarica.
KEANE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR G/TIP AND WHA/PPC (PUCCETTI)
DEPT PASS USAID LAC/AA
NSC FOR MIKE DEMPSEY
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SMIG KCRM PGOV PREL ASEC PA
SUBJECT: G/TIP VISIT REVIEWS PARAGUAY'S EFFORTS
1. Summary: On December 6, 7, and 8, G/TIP Senior Reporting
Officer Linda Brown visited Paraguay as part of a
four-country tour of South America. In meetings with Embassy
officers, GOP officials, and representatives of NGOs, Brown
discussed Paraguay's progress in combating trafficking in
persons since the most recent TIP Report, which classified
Paraguay as a "Tier 2 Watch List" country. The two dominant
themes of discussion were Paraguayan efforts to prosecute
traffickers and the development of services for trafficking
victims repatriated to Paraguay. During the visit,
interlocutors stressed the high profile that TIP has assumed
among GOP officers over the past 18 months, but also
acknowledged the deficiencies in Paraguay's anti-TIP efforts
that the GOP must continue to remedy. End summary.
2. Brown had a number of meetings with various officials and
NGOs, raising a number of issues in Paraguay's efforts to
combat TIP.
3. Ambassador Keane
--The Ambassador reviewed Post's engagement of the GOP on
TIP, focusing upon efforts to encourage the Attorney
General's office, the Supreme Court, and the Foreign Ministry
to supply data on arrests and prosecutions and urge
prosecutors to be more aggressive on TIP cases.
--The Ambassador also described Post's $155,000 bilateral
project with the Secretariat for Women and the Secretariat
for Children and Adolescents, focusing upon its prospects for
improving the quality of services available to rescued
trafficking victims.
--Brown explained the purpose of her regional visit to
Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru, noting that she sought
to review the progress that these Tier 2 countries have made
since the publication of the 2004 TIP Report. She agreed on
the centrality of encouraging prosecutions of traffickers,
and pointed out that G/TIP plans to become more aggressive in
engaging countries on law enforcement.
4. USAID Mission Deputy Director Sergio Guzman, Democracy
Team Leader Steve Marma, Developmental Assistance Specialist
for Maternal Health Josceline Betancourt
--Guzman and Betancourt work with health programs in
Paraguay, and noted that TIP has health implications in
Paraguay, ranging from early pregnancy to sexually
transmitted diseases (including HIV/AIDS) and mental
disorders. Brown discussed the link between prostitution and
sex trafficking, observing that legalized prostitution
increases the number of women trafficked into sex slavery,
and leads to the spread of these health problems.
--Marma described NGO activities in Paraguay, pointing out
that NGOs, and civil society generally, have not always been
successful in working with the GOP, which views them more as
competitors than as partners.
5. Foreign Ministry Director of International Organizations
Julio Peralta
--Peralta described the interministerial working group on
TIP, which he chairs. He discussed the state of the GOP's
national action plan on trafficking, which it presented in
early 2004. He reviewed the visit of Juan Miguel Petit, the
UN's special rapporteur on child sex abuse.
--Peralta was the only GOP official to ask directly about
Paraguay's prospective tier placement on the next annual
report. Brown indicated that tier placements will not be
contemplated until well into 2005, and that her trip was only
a preliminary effort at gathering information for the next
TIP Report.
--He also discussed the Interamerican Development Bank's
trafficking project with the GOP, which focuses upon studies
to determine the extent of TIP here and the most common
routes used by traffickers.
6. Minister for Women Maria Jose Argana
--The Minister discussed Post's bilateral TIP project and the
timetable the Secretariats for Women and Children and
Adolescents developed.
--She noted her working relationship with Phillip Linderman
(a former G/TIP reporting officer for South America now
detailed to the OAS, where he is organizing an
anti-trafficking program),and noted that she would be
visiting Washington during the first half of 2005 and hoped
to meet with G/TIP officials while there.
7. Minister for Children and Adolescents Mercedes Britez de
Buzo
--The Minister described efforts to combat the trafficking in
children, pointing to participation in Embassy Montevideo's
regional project, participation in the Embassy's bilateral
project, and efforts to criminalize child pornography.
--She hinted at the continued tug of war with Women's
Ministry over leadership of anti-TIP initiatives within the
GOP, contradicting Minister Argana by claiming that most
Paraguayan trafficking victims are younger than 18.
-- She spoke of the need to prosecute traffickers but
conceded, based upon her own experiences as a prosecutor and
judge, that it is not career enhancing in the judicial system
to focus on trafficking or children's issues.
8. International Programs Coordinator of the Secretariat for
Repatriations Luz Gamelia Ibarra
--The meeting was principally a general discussion of the
history of the Secretariat for Repatriations and the
challenges of repatriating Paraguayan women trafficked
overseas. Gamilia discussed GOP efforts to cooperate with
Spain and Argentina in specific 2004 cases, such as the women
trafficked from Villarica to Spain, and two minor girls from
Coronel Oviedo rescued from forced prostitution in Cordoba,
Argentina. She discussed plans to create an "attention
center" to serve trafficking victims seeking reintegration
into Paraguay society.
--Gamelia described the Secretariat's cooperation with local
bus companies especially La Encarnacena in securing free
transportation of TIP victims from Argentina back to Paraguay.
--Gamelia noted the Secretariat's difficulty in repatriating
victims from Spain because of the cost.
9. Attorney General Oscar Latorre and Prosecutor Teresa
Martinez
--Latorre offered general remarks about the importance of
stopping trafficking, but was not positive about prospects
for the creation of a specialized unit of anti-trafficking
prosecutors.
--Martinez described the history of TIP prosecutions in
Paraguay, observing that the issue was unknown just 18 months
ago, and is now an important focus in the Ministerio Publico.
She mentioned several ongoing cases, including the GOP's
efforts to prosecute traffickers in the Villarica (which has
since resulted in two convictions and prison sentences) and
Coronel Oviedo cases.
--Brown explained the origins of the USG's interest in
obtaining data on prosecutions. Martinez noted that she is
working on the project in the Attorney General's Office. The
task has been difficult because there is no central
repository for the data. Instead data must be obtained from
individual prosecutors. Martinez described the difficulties
in getting victims to cooperate, and the Attorney General's
lack of legal authority to investigate independently.
10. Independent Women's Rights Activist and Consultant Andrea
Cid
--The discussion primarily dealt with Paraguayan culture and
the ways in which it complicates both government and NGO
efforts to fight trafficking. In the eyes of many here,
prostitution is not a bad thing in and of itself. Given the
levels of stark poverty in the country, many feel that
prostitution is a legitimate way to earn a living. Many
families, she said, knowingly sell their own daughters into
prostitution abroad in the hope that the girls will send
money home.
--The legal culture in Paraguay complicates efforts to stop
trafficking. She described the Penal Code and the entire
judicial system as lenient, with laws prescribing mild
penalties for crimes such as trafficking. The authorities
are unable to stop traffickers from threatening victims who
file complaints with prosecutors.
11. Comment: Paraguay needs to place emphasis upon law
enforcement and prosecutions of traffickers. As Brown noted,
other countries have arrested the owners of brothels to which
Paraguayan women have been trafficked. Paraguay needs to use
the information acquired in these cases to track down and
prosecute the traffickers recruiting the girls in their home
towns, as happened in Villarica. Nevertheless, that
discussion of trafficking in Paraguay has progressed to this
level illustrates the higher profile given to trafficking.
It is a priority across the GOP, as the creation of an
interministerial roundtable indicates. Post is contributing
to Paraguayan efforts through its bilateral assistance
program. We appreciate GOP efforts to supply us with data on
trafficking prosecutions, and are encouraged by the
conviction and sentencing of the two traffickers in Villarica.
KEANE