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