ARGENTINE FIRST LADY EXPECTS CONGRESS TO PASS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000799 SIPDIS SIPDIS G FOR U/S DOBRIANSKY G/TIP FOR BARBARA FLECK WHA FOR CHARLES SHAPIRO WHA/PPC FOR MIKE PUCCETTI WHA/BSC FOR DREW BLAKENEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2017 TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM PHUM PREL SMIG KWMN PGOV AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINE FIRST LADY EXPECTS CONGRESS TO PASS ANTI-TIP LAW SOON REF: BUENOS AIRES 793 Classified By: AMBASSADOR E. ANTHONY WAYNE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) First Lady and Senator Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner told Ambassador on April 20 that she expects the Argentine Congress to pass draft legislation criminalizing trafficking in persons (TIP) by May or June at the latest, especially given that the Senate had already approved one version of the law in December 2006. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador raised the importance of working on trafficking in persons as one of three topics (others septels) in his first meeting with Argentina's First Lady, who will be visiting Washington on May 3-4. He noted that the recent visit of anti-Trafficking activist Susana Trimarco de Veron to Washington to receive an International Woman of Courage award from Secretary Rice had highlighted the serious trafficking problems in Argentina and the need for a federal law to allow a coordinated response. The First Lady said that trafficking in persons was a very serious problem and that, while the size of the problem may not be as great as in some other countries, there was definitely a need for greater federal coordination to combat this ill, as human trafficking is a crime that occurs across the various provinces. Ambassador Wayne indicated that passage of anti-TIP legislation would be a positive step in demonstrating the GOA's commitment to combating human trafficking. The First Lady agreed vigorously that passage was important, saying that the bill enjoyed widespread support in both houses of Congress and she foresaw no opposition to passing the bill in May or June at the latest. Just following the meeting, she instructed her staff that trafficking in persons should be one of the issues briefed to the press who would be reporting on the meeting, underscoring that she understood its importance. Several dailies picked up the story and the discussion of trafficking. ¶3. (C) Interior Minister Fernandez told the Ambassador on April 23 that he had also briefed the first lady on the trafficking issue and the desirability of quickly passing the bill pending in Congress. Ambassador also raised the need for rapid action on the trafficking legislation in his call on President of the Senate Pampuro on April 23. Pampuro promised to help assure rapid action and said he would call Deputy Rosario Romero, Lower House Chairperson of the Criminal Legislation Committee, who is in charge of action in the lower chamber to get a sense of when the bill might move back to the Senate. Staffers from Romero's office also informed us that the Committee is meeting on April 24, and that assuming there are no major objections, this is the final committee meeting before the bill is sent to the Lower House for consideration next week. ¶4. (C) Comment: Human trafficking is an issue that Argentines, on their own, recognize as a serious problem. Ambassador and Embassy staff continue to actively lobby key players in the GOA and Argentine Congress to keep passage of anti-TIP legislation on the front-burner. Continued press coverage highlighting the problem keeps the issue alive, and we have the GoA's attention focused on this problem. We strongly suggest that we reach out to First Lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Interior Minister Fernandez when they visit DC for the American Jewish Committee on May 3-4. We will continue to encourage the GOA to pass the law and then further increase arrests and prosecutions. We have submitted a cable requesting G/TIP funding (reftel) to bolster the GOA's ability to investigate and prosecute TIP cases as well as identify and provide assistance to trafficking victims. End Comment. WAYNE