BELIZE: 2006 TIP REPORT DEMARCHE DELIVERED

UNCLAS BELIZE 000533

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CEN - JASON MACK
DEPT FOR WHA/PPC - MICHAEL PUCCETTI
DEPT FOR G/TIP - LINDA BROWN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN PREL PGOV SMIG VZ CU BH
SUBJECT: BELIZE: 2006 TIP REPORT DEMARCHE DELIVERED

REF: A) STATE 85511; B) BELIZE 403


1. (SBU) Per reftel, post delivered, on June 5, report and
talking points to CEO Ambassador Amalia Mai and U.N. Desk
Officer Alphonso Gahona of Belize Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Together with the report, PolOff presented the 60-
day mini-plan. Mai's reaction was polite but muted; she
noted, with reference to the recent USTR Special 301 Watch
List demarche, that as of late there had not been much good
news from the USG for Belize. Mai said that she would brief
the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the National
Anti-TIP Committee on Wednesday June 7. Director of the
Belize National Anti-TIP Committee Ambassador Dolores
Balderamos-Garcia has not yet responded to PolOff's requests
for a meeting.


2. (SBU) The local media has given considerable coverage to
the release of the 2006 TIP Report. Utilizing Reftel A
press guidance, PolOff has taken numerous press calls from
several Belizean media outlets. Local media reports noted
that in 2003 Belize had been ranked at Tier 3.
Additionally, some local press outlets noted that
insufficient action by the Government of Belize had been one
reason for the ranking.


3. (U) Thus far there have been several TV, radio and
newspaper articles regarding the TIP report, including:


A. On Tuesday, June 6, Channel Five evening news' lead
story was "U.S. Castigates Belize for `Trafficking in
Persons.'" Channel Five's anchorwoman had interviewed
PolOff for the story.


B. The same evening, Channel 7 also carried a brief story
entitled "U.S. Gives Belize Thumbs Down for Human
Trafficking." The story noted that "The Government [of
Belize] has enacted laws, empowered a task force, performed
raids, charged traffickers. all that but the U.S. State
Department says this country is not doing enough to curb
human trafficking." Channel 7 also commented that "two
fierce opponents of the United States" are also on the list
- Venezuela and Cuba.


C. On Wednesday, June 7, LoveFM radio interviewed PolOff
and Ambassador Dolores Balderamos-Garcia. Balderamos-Garcia
stated that she was "disappointed but not surprised" by
Belize's ranking. She also cited the recent positive step
Belize has made by joining the Latin American Network for
Missing Persons.


D. On the Wednesday, June 7, the Prime Minister addressed
the issue on the Channel Five evening news. Giving his
thoughts on why Belize was ranked Tier 3, the PM stated:
"That Belize is now lumped and almost put in a box, so to
speak, with Venezuela and Cuba; I don't think its pure
coincidence. Because, when you analyze the issue of human
trafficking, we have done a lot in this country to address
the issue. Police, the immigration, people have raided
constantly in addressing this issue of prostitution for
instance and the whole question of human trafficking we've
done a lot. But those who seek to judge us should perhaps
examine their own decadent societies before they come and
pass judgment on us."


E. On the June 8 LoveFM morning news, Carmen Zetina,
Director of Immigration, gave an interview stating that the
Belize Department of Immigration is committed in the fight
against trafficking in persons and that they are grateful
for assistance from the U.S. Government (USG) noting the USG
sponsored machine readable passport (MRP) program. Zetina
went on to state that Immigration's IT Unit is working on a
nationwide network to track incidents of human trafficking
and other immigration offenses.


F. On Thursday, June 8, a weekly newspaper (The Reporter)
ran an article entitled "Belize Not Doing Enough to Stop
Human Trafficking." The article cited the Prime Minister's
speculation from the previous evening's news that Belize's
ranking is in part due to its relations with Venezuela and
Cuba. The article also noted PolOff's statement that the
formal report to the U.S. Congress on Global Trafficking was
not in response to relationships Belize may have with other
nations.

MOSS