Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PANAMA1932
2006-09-29 18:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Panama
Cable title:
PANAMA REPORTS NO COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
how-toVZCZCXYZ0009 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHZP #1932 2721839 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 291839Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9071 INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2435 RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL//J5/J2/POLAD//
UNCLAS PANAMA 001932
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC MIKE PUCCETTI, AND DRL
MANCHAREE JUNK
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV ELAB PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA REPORTS NO COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
OF CHILDREN IN DARIEN
UNCLAS PANAMA 001932
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC MIKE PUCCETTI, AND DRL
MANCHAREE JUNK
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV ELAB PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA REPORTS NO COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
OF CHILDREN IN DARIEN
1. (SBU) Contrary to a recently published U.S. Department of
Labor report, there were no official cases or claims of
children trafficked for sexual exploitation in Darien
Province, Head of the Panamanian Judicial and Technical
Police's sex crimes unit Ana Cecilia Cajar said. Cajar wrote
in a September 13 letter to the Inspector General of Criminal
Investigations that after thorough investigation with the
Darien police division chief and the Attorney General's
office, she had found no evidence of commercial sexual
exploitation of children in the Darien. However, she
reported that her office had investigated cases of other
sexual crimes against children, including sexual tourism and
child pornography. There were 40 such cases in 2005 and 34
cases so far in 2006.
2. (SBU) The letter responded to a September 13 Panamanian
press story on the annual Department of Labor child labor
report that stated that children were trafficked for sexual
exploitation in Panama. The story received attention from
the First Lady's office and others, who called on the USG to
provide proof for the statistics cited in the report. Much
of the information from the DoL report, however, actually
came from a 2000 child labor study by the Panamanian
Comptroller General's office.
3. (SBU) Comment: The GOP remains sensitive on its
trafficking in persons (TIP) record, particularly after
Panama was nearly placed on the Tier Two Watchlist in the
2005 TIP report. It is encouraging that there were no
official reports of child sexual trafficking in Darien.
However, given the underreporting and difficulties in getting
firm statistics associated with TIP cases, it may be too
simplistic to assume that commercial sexual exploitation is
no longer a problem. Post will continue to engage NGOs and
other TIP contacts on this issue.
EATON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC MIKE PUCCETTI, AND DRL
MANCHAREE JUNK
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV ELAB PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA REPORTS NO COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
OF CHILDREN IN DARIEN
1. (SBU) Contrary to a recently published U.S. Department of
Labor report, there were no official cases or claims of
children trafficked for sexual exploitation in Darien
Province, Head of the Panamanian Judicial and Technical
Police's sex crimes unit Ana Cecilia Cajar said. Cajar wrote
in a September 13 letter to the Inspector General of Criminal
Investigations that after thorough investigation with the
Darien police division chief and the Attorney General's
office, she had found no evidence of commercial sexual
exploitation of children in the Darien. However, she
reported that her office had investigated cases of other
sexual crimes against children, including sexual tourism and
child pornography. There were 40 such cases in 2005 and 34
cases so far in 2006.
2. (SBU) The letter responded to a September 13 Panamanian
press story on the annual Department of Labor child labor
report that stated that children were trafficked for sexual
exploitation in Panama. The story received attention from
the First Lady's office and others, who called on the USG to
provide proof for the statistics cited in the report. Much
of the information from the DoL report, however, actually
came from a 2000 child labor study by the Panamanian
Comptroller General's office.
3. (SBU) Comment: The GOP remains sensitive on its
trafficking in persons (TIP) record, particularly after
Panama was nearly placed on the Tier Two Watchlist in the
2005 TIP report. It is encouraging that there were no
official reports of child sexual trafficking in Darien.
However, given the underreporting and difficulties in getting
firm statistics associated with TIP cases, it may be too
simplistic to assume that commercial sexual exploitation is
no longer a problem. Post will continue to engage NGOs and
other TIP contacts on this issue.
EATON