US embassy cable - 05GUATEMALA171

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 GUATEMALA 000171 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP:ETERNO, BURY; WHA/PPC:PUCCETTI; AND 
A/LM/AQM/IP:SNEARLY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, KWMN, PHUM, ASEC, ELAB, EAID, SMIG, GT 
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA REQUEST FOR ESF, INCLE ANTI-TIP FUNDS 
 
REF: A. 04 STATE 247994 
 
     B. 04 STATE 265981 
 
1. Summary:  We request that Washington offices allocate 
INCLE funds to one Guatemalan project to improve the criminal 
justice sector in regard to trafficking in persons and 
allocate ESF funds to two Guatemalan projects to improve care 
to trafficking victims.  End summary. 
 
Guatemala's need for anti-TIP support 
------------------------------------- 
2. Currently a Tier 2 Watchlist country, Guatemala is in need 
of resources to combat trafficking in persons.  As a source, 
transit, and destination country, the Government of Guatemala 
(GOG) and the international community are properly motivated 
to fight this practice, as we noted in our contributions for 
the Interim TIP Report.  For this reason, resources allocated 
to Guatemala can be used efficiently and effectively. 
 
INCLE funds 
----------- 
3. Based on the Ref (A) request, we recommend USD 87,500 for 
the Guatemala office of End Child Prostitution, Child 
Pornography, and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes 
(ECPAT) to fund the law enforcement components of ECPAT's 
larger Reduction of Trafficking of Children program. 
 
4. Law Enforcement Project: 
 
- Title:  Reduction of Trafficking of Children through and 
from Guatemala:  Building Capacity for Prevention, 
Protection, Prosecution, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration 
 
- Recipient Organization:  End Child Prostitution, Child 
Pornography, and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes 
(ECPAT) 
 
- Duration:  18 months 
 
- Description:  ECPAT signed an agreement with the Guatemalan 
Ministry of Government to allow it to develop and present 
anti-trafficking training and resource materials to the 
National Civilian Police (PNC), Immigration Service, and 
other governmental offices.  The GOG has committed to provide 
anti-trafficking training to all PNC and Immigration agents. 
ECPAT will develop a national training plan and initiate a 
train-the-trainer capacity for Guatemalan law enforcement. 
ECPAT would develop the curriculum for the PNC's Police 
Academy and would undertake the initial training seminars. 
Those officials designated to conduct permanent training 
modules would attend these sessions with the intent to take 
over training activities when appropriate. 
 
ECPAT further wishes to design an information campaign both 
to improve prevention efforts and to create a stronger 
linkage between the criminal justice sector and civil 
society.  The activity will use all forms of media, but will 
concentrate on radio, as the most effective way to reach the 
majority of the population.  Given the haphazard nature of 
anti-TIP efforts, ECPAT will begin the project with a rapid 
assessment of the relevant governmental offices and their 
activities to date and contribute to a National Action Plan 
throughout the project. 
 
While the long-term capacity building will be conducted at 
the Police Academy and at other government locations in 
Guatemala City, the project will need to undertake training 
and informational activities in other parts of the country, 
particularly in border crossing areas known to contain 
trafficking activities. 
 
- Justification:  Although the PNC and the Attorney General's 
Office have developed special units to combat trafficking, 
the rank and file of Guatemala's criminal justice sector is 
ill equipped to address the situation.  A common complaint by 
prosecutors is that the PNC officers do not know how to 
develop evidence to obtain a successful conviction nor is 
there a common understanding that trafficked women forced 
into prostitution are victims rather than criminals. 
 
There is a dire need to institutionalize anti-TIP training in 
order to develop a broad understanding of both the basis of 
the problem as well as the tradecraft to address it. 
 
- Performance Indicators:  Rapid Assessment Report, 
Curriculum handbooks and training modules, National Action 
Plan, numbers of trainers trained, takeover of training by 
the trainers, numbers of informational messages broadcast and 
published. 
 
- Evaluation:  While contact between Embassy POC and the 
project will be continuous, a formal review will be conducted 
every six months with project officers, GOG officials, and 
Embassy POC. 
 
- Budget breakout: 
 
training plan (including equipment)            18,500 
rapid assessment plan                           3,000 
vehicle                                        26,000 
vehicle maintenance (200 per month)             3,600 
public awareness campaign                      25,000 
administration                                 11,400 
 
total                                          87,500 
 
- Host Government Contribution:  PNC and Immigration officers 
to become trainers. 
 
- Proposed Funding Mechanism:  Letter of Agreement. 
 
- Embassy POC:  Troy Fitrell, Labor Officer. 
 
ESF Funds 
--------- 
5. Based on the Ref (B) request, we recommend USD 86,400 for 
the Guatemala office of End Child Prostitution, Child 
Pornography, and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes 
(ECPAT) to fund the protection and rehabilitation components 
of ECPAT's larger Reduction of Trafficking of Children 
program.  We also recommend USD 90,000 for Catholic Relief 
Services for the Guatemala component of its regional 
anti-trafficking project. 
 
6. Project one: 
 
- Title:  Reduction of Trafficking of Children through and 
from Guatemala:  Building Capacity for Prevention, 
Protection, Prosecution, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration 
 
- Recipient Organization:  End Child Prostitution, Child 
Pornography, and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes 
(ECPAT) and Casa del Migrante. 
 
- Duration:  18 months 
 
- Description:  ECPAT intends to expand immediate and 
long-term care for trafficking victims.  Together with its 
partner, Casa del Migrante, ECPAT wishes to expand the 
capacity of the shelter in Tecun Uman (a town on the border 
with Mexico where many trafficking victims are found) to 
provide shelter and food, and to institute health care, 
immediate legal assistance, and post-traumatic stress 
disorder therapy. 
 
- Justification:  The trafficking situation in Tecun Uman is 
dire.  Current facilities for shelter and care are woefully 
insufficient and health care and legal assistance are 
virtually non-existent. 
 
- Performance Indicators:  number of facilities established, 
number of victims aided. 
 
- Evaluation:  visit facility every six months. 
 
- Budget breakout: 
 
social services                                18,000 
equipment and infrastructure                    7,000 
psychological consultancy                       9,300 
health and nutrition                           17,000 
legal consultancy                               9,300 
repatriation costs                              7,000 
reintegration costs                             7,500 
administration                                 11,300 
 
total                                          86,400 
 
- Host Government Contribution:  none. 
 
- Proposed Funding Mechanism:  Letter of Agreement. 
 
- Embassy POC:  Troy Fitrell, Labor Officer. 
 
- Other donors:  Various other donors, including CRS, provide 
funds for the Casa del Migrante in Tecun Uman.  These 
donations, however, are for the current operations.  There 
are no other donors involved in the expansion of basic 
operations or in extended legal, psychological, or physical 
health assistance. 
7. Project two: 
 
- Title:  Countering Trafficking in Guatemala 
 
- Recipient Organization:  Catholic Relief Services (CRS) 
- Duration:  24 months 
 
- Description:  CRS is developing a regional Central American 
Trafficking response that will harmonize activities and 
create a document that identifies characteristics, trends, 
trafficking routes, vulnerable populations, and victim 
profiles.  CRS will conduct the research together with the 
Facultad Latino Americana de las Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO). 
CRS Guatemala hopes to expand current assistance programs and 
to use the regional document to target assistance more 
properly. 
 
- Justification:  As trafficking is generally a cross-border 
issue, the project to plan anti-trafficking activities on a 
regional basis is important.  Furthermore, the expansion of 
care and the need to evaluate care procedures is timely. 
 
- Performance Indicators:  Provision of Guatemalan data to 
the regional planning document and numbers of victims 
assisted. 
 
- Evaluation:  Meet with CRS officials every six months. 
 
- Budget breakout: 
 
conduct survey                                 40,000 
increase food assistance to shelters           15,000 
medical/psychological care                     15,000 
expand shelter capacity                        20,000 
 
total                                          90,000 
 
- Host Government Contribution:  none. 
 
- Proposed Funding Mechanism:  Letter of Agreement. 
 
- Embassy POC:  Troy Fitrell, Labor Officer. 
 
- Other donors:  none. 
 
Comment on Recipient Organizations 
---------------------------------- 
8. As we noted in our Interim TIP Report, ECPAT is an 
extremely able organization taking on many roles in the fight 
against trafficking.  ECPAT's two proposals listed above are 
each part of the larger anti-trafficking proposal for which 
they have been seeking support for several months.  The GOG 
is eager to see these proposals put into action but does not 
have the resources itself to fund them.  For this reason, the 
INCLE and ESF opportunities are timely.  The CRS proposal 
represents a component of intended regional operations. 
CRS's institutional capacity is well known and we urge 
Washington offices to consider its request. 
HAMILTON