VENEZUELA: VISIT OF G/TIP'S BARBARA FLECK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 CARACAS 002229 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KCRM KWMN VE SUBJECT: VENEZUELA: VISIT OF G/TIP'S BARBARA FLECK REF: A. CARACAS 01192 ¶B. CARACAS 01234 ¶C. CARACAS 01969 CARACAS 00002229 001.2 OF 004 Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR DANIEL LAWTON FOR REASON 1.4 (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Barbara Fleck, Reports Officer for the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP),and Emboffs met with Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) officials and NGOs October 19-23 to discuss the government's anti-trafficking efforts. MFA officials agreed to facilitate meetings with BRV ministries, but were only able to arrange a meeting at the MFA and at the National Women's Institute (INAMUJER). Separately, Fleck and Emboffs met with the International Organization for Migration (IOM),the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR),and local NGO Women's Association for Well-Being and Reciprocal Assistance (AMBAR). A meeting with the Scientific Investigations Police unit (CICPC) was arranged via INAMUJER. The BRV is making some efforts to combat TIP, primarily through its public awareness campaigns; however, it lacks demonstrated law enforcement efforts, victim assistance programs and reliable data. Emboffs emphasized that progress on TIP should not be hindered by other political considerations, and BRV officials generally appeared receptive to this message. END SUMMARY. -------------- Request for Meetings -------------- ¶2. (C) PolCouns and Poloff met with Yaneth Arocha, MFA Director of the Office of Multilateral and North American Affairs, and Marie Borregales, Desk Office for North America and former First Secretary at the BRV Embassy in Washington, to follow-up on meeting requests for the visit of Barbara Fleck and Kathleen Bresnahan. (Note: The BRV's Embassy in Washington declined to issue Bresnahan a visa before her scheduled departure date. As a result, she did not participate in the Venezuela portion of the regional visit. End Note.) Arocha previously agreed to serve as our interlocutor with other BRV ministries regarding TIP issues after PolCouns and Poloff expressed frustration over the inability to secure meetings. Poloff requested meetings with the National Women's Institute (INAMUJER),the Ministry of Tourism, and the Ministry of Interior and Justice. Borregales told us she would schedule the meetings and accompany us to them. -------------- TIP Report: "Unilateral" Document -------------- ¶3. (C) Poloff and Fleck met with Yaneth Arocha October 19 to discuss the BRV's efforts to combat trafficking in persons (TIP) and to review the Department's minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. (Note: The Department has designated Venezuela as a Tier 3 country in its Trafficking in Person's Report since 2004. End Note.) As she has done in previous TIP-related meetings, Arocha dismissed the report's findings and referred to it as an "unilateral" document, arguing that the report should be undertaken by a multilateral organization and not by the USG (Ref. A). Arcoha expressed frustration over the Department's grouping of Venezuela in the same category as Cuba, saying "we are not as bad as Cuba on this issue." She argued that the BRV has made significant strides in combating trafficking and cited its public awareness campaigns, a victim's assistance hotline, and its alleged prosecution efforts against traffickers. ¶4. (C) In response to Fleck's query about the kind of TIP activities taking place in Venezuela, Arocha stated that Venezuela is a transit point for victims of trafficking, not a source of origin or final destination. As an example, Arocha noted that recent raids on "traffickers" revealed they were in the process of transporting persons from Andean countries to the United States, the Caribbean, and Europe. (Note: The offenders mentioned by Arocha were likely engaged in alien smuggling, not trafficking. A persistent problem with BRV statistics as well. End Note.) Arocha also argued that trafficking is a relatively new problem in Venezuela and that government ministries are still learning how to best deal with this type of organized crime. In addition, Arocha noted that ant-trafficking legislation is currently pending in the National Assembly. ¶5. (C) Fleck acknowledged the BRV's anti-TIP efforts, CARACAS 00002229 002.2 OF 004 particularly its public awareness campaigns and the hotline, but noted that there remained significant areas for improvement. Fleck underscored the Embassy's difficulty in obtaining reliable statistics on TIP-related prosecutions and victims. She argued that limited information sharing between BRV ministries and Emboffs has made it difficult for post to assess the BRV's anti-trafficking initiatives. In addition, Fleck stressed the importance of educating BRV officials on the difference between TIP and alien smuggling via training. She noted that when the BRV's Embassy in Washington released figures on "TIP" prosecutions in 2006 they related to cases of alien smuggling, not trafficking. -------------- International Organizations on TIP -------------- ¶6. (C) PolCouns and Fleck met with Marisol Fuves, International Organization for Migration's (IOM's) Chief of Mission, and Pierre Boudet, IOM Field Officer, October 19 to discuss possible G/TIP funding opportunities. (Note: IOM submitted a proposal for G/TIP consideration in April, which did not reach paneling. IOM proposed to conduct a survey in Zulia state to determine the scope of TIP activities on the Colombian-Venezuelan border and develop a public awareness campaign from the resulting data. End Note.) Fleck mentioned that a call for anti-trafficking proposals would be released by year's end, and encouraged IOM to submit a proposal, keeping G/TIP funding priorities in mind. Fuves told PolCouns and Fleck that IOM enjoys a positive working relationship with the BRV, and that the BRV may not be getting sufficient credit for its anti-trafficking public awareness efforts, multilateral initiatives, and cooperation with Interpol. IOM has provided training for government officials and has collaborated with the BRV on several public awareness campaigns, but noted difficulties with high turnover in BRV staff. IOM also receives TIP victim referrals from the BRV, and has worked on four repatriation cases this year. ¶7. (C) Poloff and Fleck met with Magda Medina, Protections Officer for the Office of the UN's High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR),October 22 to discuss the scope of TIP activities in country. Medina disagreed with Arocha's assessment of Venezuela's TIP problem. Instead, she characterized Venezuela as a source of origin and final destination. Regarding the profile of TIP victims, she told us that Venezuelan-born victims are trafficked primarily from the interior of the country and later sold into prostitution rings or placed in situations of forced labor. Sex tourism in resort destinations, such as Margarita Island, is also prevalent. Medina said UNHCR had received only a few assistance requests from TIP victims in previous years. Most cases involved persons of Venezuelan, Colombian, Haitian, and Peruvian origin. In some instances, victims filed for refugee status fearing reprisals from traffickers if they returned to their country of origin. UNHCR is currently working with a local partner to provide counseling and mental health services for TIP victims, Medina said. ¶8. (C) When asked to assess the BRV's anti-TIP efforts, Medina commended the government's initiatives in certain areas but also noted room for improvement. Medina said the BRV has increased its screening efforts for potential TIP victims at national airports following UNHCR-provided training. The BRV, however, has generally not provided adequate services for victims. She told us that when victims call the assistance hotline their cases are routed to local anti-trafficking NGOs. Medina said the government does not operate its own safe houses nor does it fund anti-trafficking NGOs. Further, the BRV lacks the personnel to follow-up with hotline referrals. -------------- Women's Ministry Offers Few TIP Programs -------------- ¶9. (C) Poloff and Fleck met with Neyla Izturde, Women's Rights Defender at the National Women's Institute (INAMUJER), October 22. (Note: Borregales arranged the meeting and participated in it. End Note.) In a cordial one-hour meeting, Izturde provided a general overview of INAMUJER's services, specifically those used by TIP victims. First, she emphasized that INAMUJER serves as a liaison between victims, anti-trafficking NGOs, and government law enforcement agencies. She noted that the Institute regularly refers victims to AMBAR, a local victim's assistance NGO, and works closely with the Scientific Investigations and Criminal CARACAS 00002229 003.2 OF 004 Police Unit (CICPC),which is charged with investigating TIP cases. She also briefed us on INAMUJER's anti-violence workshops which refer to trafficking as a form of "violence" against women. ¶10. (C) Izturde was visibly proud of INAMUJER's public awareness campaign. She showed us between five and ten different posters that provided information on victim's assistance programs and the BRV's hotline. Some of the posters dealt with sex tourism, forced labor, and prostitution, while others warned against on-line predators and encouraged victims to prosecute traffickers. Izturde said the posters could be found in most airports, in INAMUJER's regional offices, and in police stations nationwide. ¶11. (C) Izturde estimated that INAMUJER received between nine and eleven trafficking cases last year. She acknowledged that government statistics on TIP cases were difficult to obtain and said that the data INAMUJER managed was for internal use only. Additionally, she asserted that trafficking is a relatively new phenomenon in Venezuela. As a result, BRV officials (and INAMUJER) are more focused on combating other forms of "violence" against women, such as spousal abuse. Regarding specific TIP cases, Izturde said that she knew of several cases where traffickers placed ads for models in regional newspapers and then lured respondents to Caracas under false pretenses of employment. ¶12. (C) Izturde was open and forthcoming about INAMUJER's programs, but she could not answer many of our TIP-related questions. She suggested we speak with one of her contacts at the CICPC. Initially, Borregales declined the offer, saying she already had requested a meeting and was awaiting confirmation. Borregales conceded to the meeting upon further insistance and offered to accompany us. -------------- Investigating TIP Cases -------------- ¶13. (C) Poloff, Fleck, and Borregales met with Sub-Commissioner Eliett Valena and social worker Norma Ayesterano of the CICPC following our meeting at INAMUJER. Valena explained that CICPC is charged with investigating TIP-related cases, providing legal assistance to victims, and prosecuting traffickers. She noted that CICPC received its first trafficking case four years ago, making trafficking a relatively new issue for them. Valena, like other BRV officials, argued that Venezuela is primarily a transit point for TIP victims en route to Europe and the United States. Valena and Ayesterano said that the majority of TIP cases they dealt with involved young Venezuelan girls who were forced into prostitution rings. Valena added that TIP victims were usually referred to CICPC by INAMUJER or by the assistance hotline. ¶14. (C) Valena blamed the victims for CICPC's lack of trafficking prosecutions. She argued that the majority of victims prefer to not file charges because of lengthy court delays or fear of reprisal from traffickers. Regarding government-provided services, she acknowledged that the BRV does not operate safe houses and relies exclusively on anti-trafficking NGOs. Ayesterano also commented that government-provided mental health and medical services were lacking. -------------- Anti-TIP NGO Plans Next Move -------------- ¶15. (C) Poloff and Fleck met October 23 with Nury Pernia, President of the prominent anti-trafficking NGO Women's Association for Well-Being and Reciprocal Assistance (AMBAR), to discuss future funding opportunities and to visit AMBAR's facilities. (Note: AMBAR was the recipient of the Economic Support Fund (ESF) Grant approved by G/TIP (Ref.B). End Note.) She also noted AMBAR's work with sexually exploited youth and child prostitutes, who are typically extremely poor girls from the interior of the country, lured to Caracas with false job offers. Since January 2007, AMBAR personnel have found at least seven trafficking victims in the streets of Caracas. In Pernia's view, child prostitution is a growing phenomenon in Venezuela, one which the BRV does not identify as a form of trafficking in persons. Following the discussion, we toured AMBAR's "A House and a Home" project, which was established via the ESF grant. CARACAS 00002229 004.2 OF 004 ¶16. (C) Separately, Pernia expressed concern about President Chavez' constitutional reform package and its implications for NGOs. Pernia specifically mentioned Chavez' proposed changes to Article 67 which would prohibit "political organizations" from receiving monies from international donors (Ref. C). (Note: The BRV (incorrectly) categorizes local NGOs as "political organizations" with "political ends." End Note.) Pernia said the reform would make it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, for AMBAR to continue its operations in Venezuela. AMBAR derives a portion of its revenue from its pre-school and day care center, but it is heavily dependent on grants from international donors. Pernia told us she is considering relocating AMBAR's headquarters to Colombia where she would seek grants that would allow her to funnel resources to AMBAR centers in the greater Caracas area. ¶17. (C) When asked about Venezuela's national plan to combat trafficking, Pernia said she was not hopeful the plan would pass in the coming months. As we spoke, Pernia received an email from the committee charged with drafting the plan, asking her to submit revisions to a new draft version of the document. She was surprised by the email and said she had not heard from the committee in months. Pernia speculated that the email was prompted by Fleck's visit. ¶18. (C) Pernia said her working relationship with BRV dependencies on TIP issues varies greatly. On the one hand, INAMUJER is too politicized, she said. This makes it difficult to coordinate services and work on technical issues, such as the national plan of action. On the other hand, CICPC and AMBAR work closely on a number of issues and are in contact on a regular basis. She qualified the CICPC as generally helpful when it comes to assisting victims with their cases, providing protection, and referring victims to AMBAR. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶19. (C) The MFA's assistance in facilitating our meeting with INAMUJER is noteworthy, although the BRV did not deliver on other ministry meetings. Borregales' hesitation to attend an impromptu meeting with CICPC officials was likely due to her fear that they would elaborate on topics that had not be cleared by the MFA. Interestingly, CICPC officials towed the BRV line even without prior notice of our visit. Separately, this was the first time Pernia disclosed plans to relocate to Colombia. Her move is improbable but it indicates that she, and possibly other NGO leaders, are fine-tuning their "Plan B." ¶20. (C) Emboffs emphasized the importance of BRV officials cooperating with the USG on TIP-related issues. Judging from Arocha's response to the TIP report, however, it is evident that she feels burned by the Department's Tier 3 ranking, a clear irritant to the BRV, which views itself as a regional anti-TIP leader. Nevertheless, it is our assessment that Arocha and Borregales are willing to work with us on this issue if they feel they can garner some positive results. DUDDY