PANAMA: EMBASSY BRIEFS INCOMING GOVERNMENT ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 000571

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA: EMBASSY BRIEFS INCOMING GOVERNMENT ON
SECURITY STRATEGY

Classified By: Charge David R. Gilmour for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

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Summary
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1. (C) "You have saved us six months time getting started,"
Panama's Vice President and Foreign Minister Juan Carlos
Varela told the Ambassador June 23, following a security
briefing by the Embassy Law Enforcement and Security Working
Group (LESWG) for the incoming GOP security leadership.
Varela, Minister of Government and Justice Jose Raul Mulino
and Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez all reacted very
positively to the Embassy's presentation, which they all said
helped them understand the make up of the LESWG, and to see
the unified strategy that guided all the different USG
agencies. The briefing highlighted the excellent security
cooperation the USG has enjoyed with Panama, the Embassy's
assessment of the security challenges faced by Panama, and
the Embassy's strategy for supporting Panama, including
Merida Initiative programs and Post's 1207 proposal. Varela
asked that such meetings be held every six months to keep the
GOP leadership informed of the progress on security issues.
End Summary.

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You Have Saved Us 6 Months
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2. (C) The Ambassador led the five hour briefing by the
Embassy LESWG for the incoming administration's security
leadership, led by Varela, Mulino and Gomez. The heads of all
the major Panamanian security institutions attended the
event, which was organized by NAS. Varela declared that the
briefing gave the incoming leadership a full grasp of the
Embassy's evaluation of the security situation, its capacity
to assist, and the USG's strategic vision of how Panama
should move forward to confront its security challenges.
Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez said that after five years
in office the briefing had finally given her a good
understanding of the USG's security strategy and operational
structure. Mulino reacted by speaking very frankly about the
GOP's determination to work with the Government of Colombia
to increase the governmental presence on each side of their
shared frontier, increase cooperation on immigration, and
implement a demobilization campaign for the FARC. He
emphasized the danger the increasing crime rate represented
to Panama's economic development, and welcomed the USG's
support.

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The Briefing
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3. (C) The LESWG briefing stressed the shared security
interests of Panama and the U.S., especially the continued
stability of Panama in the face of international crime and
narco-terrorism. Briefers laid out the threat posed to Panama
by drug trafficking in Panama's territorial waters, and how
this tended to strengthen the domestic gang threat by
providing opportunities for local gangs to work for
international drug trafficking organizations as they move the
drugs on short hops along the coast, and transfer to land.
The briefing stressed the links between the international
drug trafficking threat and Panama's domestic crime wave.
Briefers went on to show how the Embassy's proposed Darien
strategy to increase government presence in areas with a FARC
presence and increase police capability, to be funded in part
with 1207 funds that have now received a preliminary
approval, would support an overall strategy to confront
criminality in Panama and promote democratic stability. The
briefing also highlighted the Embassy's plans for Merida
Initiative funding to promote community policing and develop
youth programs to prevent young people from being recruited
into gangs.

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Support for Merida
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4. (C) Gomez praised the Embassy's focus on the growing

gang problem in Panama through its Merida strategy, and said
she would support it. Varela said he was happy with the
emphasis USAID's Merida program placed on working with and
strengthening existing NGOs and religious groups. He offered
to provide resources to organize a meeting of stake holders
interested in crime prevention programs. Varela also
expressed interest in NAS's proposals to establish a body in
the MOGJ to investigate high level and institutional
corruption in the security services. PNP Director-designate
Gustavo Perez and MOGJ Vice Minister of Public Security
Alejandro Garuz both expressed their support for NAS's
Merida-financed community police training program. Perez said
that he strongly supported community policing, and would
support NAS's program however he could.

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Strategic Planning
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5. (C) The Ambassador stressed the importance of developing
a strategic planning capability in the government, and
especially for the development of the security services.
Mulino said that they were bringing in McKinsy & Company
consultants to look at the Ministry of Government and Justice
(MOGJ) and the security services and develop a plan. Garuz
said that he wanted to introduce a 15 year plan for the
security services, laying out a strategy for acquiring
equipment, improving training, and reforming the
administration of the security services. He said he wanted to
move uniformed officers out of administration and bring in
civilian professionals to the MOGJ to improve the
administration of the services.

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Other Deliverables
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6. (C) Varela agreed to a public signing ceremony for the
Assistance Agreement for USAID's ESF money within the first
week of the new government (Note: the ceremony took place on
July 7 End Note.) Varela also told Post CBP officer that the
new government was interested in developing an Advance
Passenger Information System (APIS) program with the USG, and
that it would be a high priority for them.

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Comment
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7. (C) By putting USG security programs in their broader
strategic context, demonstrating a united Embassy security
team with strong leadership from the Ambassador, and showing
the Embassy's concern for Panama's own security concerns, the
briefing disarmed the suspicions of Varela and Mulino that
they were being asked to use their scarce security resources
to meet the needs of the USG in detriment to their own
security needs. The key to the briefing's success was showing
a close correlation between Panama's domestic crime problems
and the international drug trafficking networks the Embassy
targets. We were able to show that their connections were
real, and that we were designing our strategy with an eye to
protecting Panama's stability, and not just to catch more
drugs. The leaders of the new government were also reassured
that there was one unified Embassy security strategy under
the leadership of the Ambassador, which would allow them to
maintain control of their security relationship with the USG
through the Ambassador. Varela and Mulino were visibly
relieved after the briefing, while Gomez was thrilled to have
been given an opportunity to understand the full breadth of
US-Panamanian security cooperation. Post believes that the
briefing has given us an excellent opportunity to develop
relationships and expand security cooperation in a spirit of
partnership that will benefit both nations.
GILMOUR