Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CARACAS1192
2007-06-15 20:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Caracas
Cable title:  

BRV DISPUTES 2007 TIER 3 TIP REPORT RANKING

Tags:  PHUM KDEM PGOV VE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO7054
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHCV #1192 1662027
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 152027Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9023
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001192 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPT FOR G/TIP KBRESNAHAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2017
TAGS: PHUM KDEM PGOV VE
SUBJECT: BRV DISPUTES 2007 TIER 3 TIP REPORT RANKING

REF: STATE 71163

Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT DOWNES
FOR REASON 1.4 (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001192

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPT FOR G/TIP KBRESNAHAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2017
TAGS: PHUM KDEM PGOV VE
SUBJECT: BRV DISPUTES 2007 TIER 3 TIP REPORT RANKING

REF: STATE 71163

Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT DOWNES
FOR REASON 1.4 (D)


1. (SBU) In meetings with USG officials and in the press, BRV
officials reacted angrily to the Department's designation of
Venezuela as a Tier 3 country in the 2007 Trafficking in
Persons (TIP) report released June 12.

-- During a June 13 meeting between Vice President of the
National Assembly (NA) Desiree Santos Amaral, NA Deputy and
Chairman of the External Relations Committee Saul Ortega,
Special Coordinator for Venezuela Deborah McCathy, and
PolCouns, Santos Amaral criticized the TIP report for
grouping Venezuela and Cuba in the same category. Santos
Amaral questioned the Department's ranking of Colombia as a
Tier 1 country, noting the large number of Colombians
trafficked into Venezuela. She argued that the BRV had made
significant strides in its anti-TIP efforts. Santos Amaral
said that as a sovereign nation Venezuela strongly rejected
its policies being judged by another country. Ortega
emphasized that Venezuela had strong laws on its books, but
was silent as to enforcement. PolCouns noted that bilateral
cooperation by the BRV on this issue, which had been stronger
in previous years, even under President Chavez, had
diminished sharply.

-- In a June 13 meeting with Vice Minister of Popular Power
for North American and Multilateral Affairs Jorge Valero, the
Ambassador, and Special Coordinator McCarthy, Valero objected
to Venezuela's listing in the same category as Cuba. Valero
said he understood that reports, such as the TIP and the
Human Rights Report, were established pracitces required by
Congress. He noted, however, that "unilateral evaluations
cause controversy." He (half) jokingly suggested that the
BRV might consider doing its own report on human rights
practices in the United States as China currently does.

-- In a June 13 press conference, Minister of Popular Power
for Interior and Justice Pedro Carreno attempted to discredit
the report, saying the Department issues its
Congressionally-mandated reports in a "rash" manner, and that
the BRV "could not expect the USG to tell the truth" about
TIP-related issues Venezuela.

-- During PolCouns' June 14 meeting with Yaneth Arocha,
Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Relations Director of
Office of North American and Multilateral Affairs, Arocha
argued that the BRV was cooperating with the Embassy on
TIP-related issues. She specifically mentioned the
eleventh-hour invitation to Poloffs to participate in two
roundtable discussions in the Fall of 2006 (to draft a
national plan of action) as a sign of increased cooperation.
She dismissed PolCouns' assertion that Embassy attempts to
meet with the BRV offices charged with implementing and
enforcing TIP laws had been rebuffed, as had Embassy requests
for information.


2. (SBU) Interestingly, Juan Jose Molina NA Deputy for
Podemos and Vice President of the NA's Interior, Justice, and
Human Rights Commission, acknowledged June 12 that
Venezuelan's anti-trafficking legislation needs to be
revised. He also proposed that trafficking and sexual
exploitation via the internet be punishable under Venezuelan
law. Podemos is a small pro-Chavez party that has declined
to dissolve and join Chavez' proposed single "revolutionary"
party.


3. (C) COMMENT: As in previous years, BRV officials condemned
the Department's listing of Venezuela as a Tier 3 country in
the Trafficking in Persons Report. The BRV, as expected,
criticized the report in general terms, but did not refute
its findings, particularly in the areas of detentions and
prosecutions. Nevertheless, several BRV officials insisted
the government cooperated with the Embassy on trafficking
related issues, despite that fact cooperation has diminished
significantly each passing year. Interestingly, Podemos
deputy Molina highlighted some deficiencies in Venezuela's
trafficking legislation, a move that both reflects and could
exacerbate the schism between his party and President Chavez.


BROWNFIELD