TIP REPORT "AN OBSTACLE TO NORMALIZING RELATIONS"

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000779 SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPARTMENT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER) E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/21/2024 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM KTIP VE SUBJECT: TIP REPORT "AN OBSTACLE TO NORMALIZING RELATIONS" REF: STATE 60638 Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR FRANCISCO FERNANDEZ, REASONS 1.4 (B). ¶1. (C) Embassy Caracas delivered an advance copy of the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 16, as requested in Reftel. No Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (GBRV) official has responded directly to the Embassy regarding the report. ¶2. (SBU) Nevertheless, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs categorically rejected the TIP report in a June 17 press release calling the report "a tool of the political imperialists against independent countries", and said that the U.S. "oppresses and exploits immigrants, especially Latin Americans, divides families, builds border walls, has practiced torture and protects terrorists." The press release concluded by stating that the TIP report "is a serious obstacle to normalizing bilateral relations." Pro-government newspapers have based coverage of the TIP report on this press release. German Saltron, a senior GBRV human rights official, sharply criticized the TIP report in an interview on the government-owned Venezolana de Television station. He said that that the problem was a result of world poverty caused by capitalism, and that the U.S. was the driving force behind trafficking in persons world-wide. CAULFIELD