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