US embassy cable - 05QUITO995

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 000995 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA/PPC, WHA/AND, AND G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PREL, EC 
SUBJECT: CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT AFFECTING TIP PROGRESS 
 
REF: QUITO 976 
 
1.  (U) Summary:  President Palacio is appointing new heads, 
subsecretaries, and directors of all ministries, and the 
turnover will slow down progress on key issues including 
trafficking in persons (TIP).  Changes in the ministry of 
government, which heads the GOE's fight against TIP, are 
ongoing.  On April 28, the Ambassador met with the First Lady 
and encouraged her to cooperate with us to combat TIP 
(reftel).  President of Congress Wilfredo Lucero said he 
would prioritize pending TIP legislation, but first he must 
deal with other key legislation.  CONAMU (the National's 
Commission on Women) recently signed an agreement with UNICEF 
to establish a network of services for victims of sexual 
exploitation in underserved areas.  With ongoing changes in 
the Government, we are redoubling our advocacy efforts.  End 
Summary. 
 
Large Turnover in All Government Ministries 
------------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (U) In the aftermath of former President Lucio 
Gutierrez's removal, President Palacio will replace all 
ministers (three remain to be named), subsecretaries, and 
most other political appointees in all ministries.  The GOE 
is currently functioning at partial capacity while 
replacements are named.  GOE work on TIP and other mission 
priorities is on hold while the GOE reconfigures itself. 
 
3.  (U) Palacio and his advisors are in the process of 
appointing new government officials, including the players 
who will influence the government's fight against 
trafficking.  The new Minister of Government Mauricio 
Gandara, head of the inter-institutional TIP committee, is 
choosing his staff and setting his priorities.  He has 
appointed one vice minister, Juan Carlos Guzman, but has not 
yet engaged with us on TIP issues. specified whether he or 
someone else will handle TIP. 
 
4.  (U) Changes in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the 
police will have less effect on TIP.  A human rights officer 
at the MFA told PolOff on April 26 that she did not expect 
new FM Antonio Parra to make changes in her office, which 
handles TIP.  A new national director of DINAPEN (the police 
that protect children and adolescents) was named just before 
the change in government.  It is unknown whether this 
position will change again. 
 
Ambassador Discusses TIP with First Lady 
---------------------------------------- 
 
5.  (U) The Ambassador met with First Lady Maria Paret de 
Palacio on April 28 emphasizing the importance of combating 
TIP (reftel).  Paret agreed, but is still in the initial 
stages of taking over INNFA, the national children's 
organization and a member of the GOE's inter-institutional 
trafficking committee.  The Ambassador provided her with 
background materials on the subjects and emphasized the 
Embassy's desire to collaborate with INNFA. 
 
Congress to Prioritize TIP but Many Urgent Issues 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
6.  (SBU) On May 2, PolChief and PolOff met with President of 
Congress Wilfredo Lucero, who said he personally was 
concerned about child prostitution and the effect of TIP on 
children.  He will prioritize pending legislation to 
criminalize TIP and related crimes, he said, but first 
Congress must resolve several critical issues:  the 
re-composition of the courts and congressional committees and 
the election of a vice president and a second vice president 
to Congress.  Lucero said he hoped Cynthia Viteri would be 
president of the Commission on Civil and Criminal 
Legislation.  (Comment:  If true, this could be good news. 
Viteri presided over the committee through December 2004 and 
actively participated in the first version of the TIP 
legislation that Congress reviewed.) 
 
CONAMU Forges Ahead Against Trafficking 
--------------------------------------- 
 
7.  (SBU) In contrast to the personnel shifts in government 
ministries, Director of the independent agency CONAMU (the 
National Commission on Women) Rocio Rosero on April 29, who 
said there would be no changes in her organization.  She 
emphasized that CONAMU has continuing working behind the 
scenes to fight TIP.  She met with Minister of Government 
Gandara on April 28 and briefed him on trafficking and 
commercial sexual exploitation.  Rosero described Gandara as 
open and knowledgeable about these topics.  She considered 
him an improvement over previous ministers. 
 
8.  (U) CONAMU has moved forward against trafficking, Rosero 
said.  CONAMU recently signed a $40,000 agreement with UNICEF 
to develop networks of services for victims of sexual 
exploitation and expects to receive funds next weeks.  The 
networks will operate in the oil town Lago Agrio, Manta, and 
Atacames (a beach resort in Esmeraldas province).  CONAMU 
also received funds from the International Labor Organization 
to hire a full-time expert to advise and assist the GOE's 
inter-institutional TIP committee through the end of the year. 
 
9.  (U) Rosero said she is committed to increased public 
awareness of TIP.  She spoke on a radio show on April 28 
about the implications of trafficking, alien smuggling, and 
sexual exploitation for families.  She will advocate legal 
reform to combat TIP in other media. 
 
Education Process Critical 
-------------------------- 
 
10.  (U) Comment:  With the changes in government across all 
ministries, we are largely starting over with the new 
government's leaders, educating them about trafficking and 
U.S. policy.  The new majority in Congress seems intent on 
making progress on various fronts; we will continue to 
advocate early attention to legislative reforms. 
KENNEY