SICA WANTS CLOSER COOPERATION ON PUBLIC SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 000878

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2019
TAGS: ES KCRM PREL XK
SUBJECT: SICA WANTS CLOSER COOPERATION ON PUBLIC SECURITY

Classified By: Charge Robert Blau for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) Summary: Secretary General of the Central American
Integration System (SICA in Spanish),Jose Aleman Gurdian, is
seeking closer cooperation with the U.S., particularly on
public security. Aleman also inquired about the possibility
of U.S. technical and financial assistance to his
organization. End summary.


2. (U) On September 17 Charge and POL/INL Officer met with
SICA Secretary General Juan Aleman and Director of Legal and
Political Affairs Erich Vilchez. Aleman offered an overview
of SICA's recently completed security strategy for Central
America and Mexico, which includes regional approaches to
crime control, violence prevention, rehabilitation, and
institution building. Aleman stated that the overriding
concern within SICA is the deteriorating public security
situation across Central America and Mexico. He told the
Charge that SICA is anxious to cooperate with the USG on the
Merida Initiative, and is most interested in programs focused
on police reform, control of small arms, and border security.
Political Secretary Vilchez then asked for USG financial
assistance to SICA's security program (currently budgeted at
950 million USD, over four years),and asked the U.S. to
lobby the World Bank and the IADB to provide additional
funding. Vilchez also asked if it would be possible for the
U.S. to provide training and subject matter expertise to the
SICA staff.


3. (C) Secretary General Aleman then asked for an update on
Honduras. Aleman stated bluntly that given the weakness of
governments in the region, particularly Guatemala, he "fears
a repeat of the Zelaya situation," in which "business elites
combine with the armed forces to remove a democratically
elected government." Aleman then reiterated his request for
closer cooperation, and called for a series of regular
meetings with the U.S. on regional public security issues.


4. (U) Comment: Charge and Secretary General Aleman agreed to
begin regular working-level consultation on public security
issues. In the coming weeks, Embassy San Salvador will brief
SICA staffers on Merida Initiative progress to date, and
solicit input to the pending Merida 2.0 strategy document.
Embassy Law Enforcement Working Group subject matter experts
(i.e. FBI, ATF, DHS/ICE) will also provide an overview of
U.S. regional programs focused on police reform, small arms,
and border security.


5. (SBU) Comment continued: SICA has in the past proven to be
a valuable interlocutor for policy-level discussion of
regional public security issues. We're not so sure it has
the ability to successfully implement programs in the field.
End comment.
BLAU