This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PANAMA 000390 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR WHA/PPC/MICHAEL PUCCETTI, G/TIP/RACHEL 
OWEN/ANTHONY ETERNO, WHA/CEN/THOMAS PIERCE 
INL/CTR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL KCRM SMIG ELAB PM KTIP LABOR HUMAN RIGHTSPOLMIL
SUBJECT: PANAMA ATTORNEY GENERAL CONVOKES ANTI-TRAFFICKING 
IN PERSONS COMMISSION 
 
REF: A. 04 PANAMA 2153 
     ¶B. PANAMA 00088 
     ¶C. PANAMA 00338 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  In a big move forward for Panama's anti-TIP 
efforts, on February 15 Panama's new attorney general Ana 
Matilde Gomez convoked the anti-TIP commission (CONAPREDES) 
as contemplated by Panama's March 2004 anti-TIP law (see 
reftel A).  The new commission institutionalizes anti-TIP 
policy coordination and legally is required to create a fund 
from a special tax source to finance anti-TIP training, 
prevention, and victims' assistance.  The Attorney General's 
swift convocation of the commission signals her commitment to 
anti-TIP efforts and places a politically independent ally 
squarely in the anti-TIP camp.  A list of the institutions 
and the representatives comprising CONAPREDES is included in 
Annex A. 
 
 
HIGH PROFILE, PROMPT CONVOCATION 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  With less than 45 days in office, Attorney General 
Gomez convoked Panama's anti-TIP commission in a high-profile 
ceremony involving three cabinet members.  Journalists, 
anti-TIP allies, and the U.S. and Spanish diplomatic 
community, including Ambassador Watt, also attended. 
 
¶3.  (U)  Both Attorney General Gomez and Youth, Women, 
Children, and Family (MINJUMFA) Minister Leonor Calderon 
spoke at the event and reiterated their commitment to 
fighting TIP, especially child commercial sexual 
exploitation.  Attorney General Gomez also emphasized the new 
tools available to prosecute TIP crimes under the March 2004 
anti-TIP law.  Attorney General Gomez and Minister Calderon 
have worked closely to focus attention on the TIP problem and 
to bring services to TIP victims, especially in the 
historically neglected Darien Province (see reftels B and C). 
 Press reports after the event brought attention to child 
sexual exploitation, child pornography, sex tourism, the link 
between TIP and international crime, and the provisions of 
the new anti-TIP law. 
 
 
KEY ASPECTS, SPECIAL FUND 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The March 2004 anti-TIP law called for the 
creation of a new official entity - the National Commission 
for the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation (CONAPREDES), and 
named the independent Attorney General its president.  (Note: 
CONAPREDES existed on paper only until February 15.  The 
outgoing Attorney General failed to convoke the commission, 
at first waiting for the change of GoP administration on 
September 1, then canceling the convocation in November 
because of flooding in the Darien, and finally deferring to 
the incoming Attorney General.) 
 
¶5.  (U)  Under the March 2004 anti-TIP law, CONAPREDES is: 
 
-  composed of high ranking GoP officials and civil society 
members key in the anti-TIP fight (see Annex A); 
 
-  a technical-administrative body for the study of the 
prevention and eradication of crimes of sexual exploitation; 
 
-  must create a special anti-TIP fund, from a special $1 tax 
on foreigners leaving Panama, a special 5% tax on adult 
videos, and property confiscated in TIP crimes; and 
 
-  must use the special anti-TIP fund to finance training, 
prevention, and victims' assistance programs. 
 
 
MAINTAINING MOMENTUM 
-------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  The Attorney General's office expressed a firm 
desire to maintain CONAPREDES's momentum, setting its first 
meeting for March 2 and working with commission members to 
identify technical experts.  The Attorney General's office 
and the Embassy are coordinating with the Justice Department 
for CONAPREDES's participation in DOJ-sponsored anti-TIP 
training scheduled for March 7-9 in Panama. 
 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶7.  (SBU)  The new Attorney General's swift convocation of 
CONAPREDES was a further strong signal of her commitment to 
combat TIP, which she previously expressed to the Ambassador 
and through submission of an anti-TIP prevention and 
protection proposal (see reftels B and C).  The Attorney 
General is a key anti-TIP ally because she heads a 
politically independent institution and was appointed for a 
ten-year term (see reftel B).  As head of CONAPREDES, the 
Attorney General will preside over the institutionalization 
of high-level anti-TIP policy coordination.  CONAPREDES's 
role as a technical body may increase TIP coordination at the 
"nuts and bolts" level, often challenging because of 
institutional divisions created to prevent tyranny as a 
response to the 1968-1989 military dictatorship.  MINJUMFA 
Minister Calderon's high visibility at the event reflected 
her interest in TIP awareness and victims' assistance, seen 
previously in MINJUMFA's anti-TIP campaign and its attention 
to TIP victims in the Darien (see reftel C). 
 
 
ANNEX A: CONAPREDES MEMBERS 
--------------------------- 
 
The commission members are: 
 
¶1.  Attorney General, Ana Matilde Gomez  (President) 
¶2.  Minister of Youth, Women, Children, and Family, Leonor 
Calderon 
¶3.  Minister of Government and Justice, Hector Aleman (signed 
by Vice Minister Olga Golcher) 
¶4.  Minister of Economy and Finance, Ricaurte Vasquez (signed 
by Secretary General Patricia de Gonzales) 
¶5.  Minister of Health, Dr. Camilo Alleyne 
¶6.  Minister of Education, Juan Bosco Bernal 
¶7.  President of the Child and Adolescent Courts, Judge 
Milixa Hernandez de Rojas 
¶8.  President of the Commission of Women's Issues, Rights of 
Children, Youth, and Family of the National Assembly, Mayra 
Zuniga 
¶9.  Director of the Judicial Technical Police, Jaime Jacome 
¶10. Executive Branch Coordinator, Dr. Silvo Guerra 
¶11.  Representative of the Ombudsman's Office, Juan A. Tejada 
Espino 
¶12.  Representative of the National Network of Children and 
Adolescents, Sister Idian Reiis 
¶13.  Representative of National Bar Association, Carlos 
Vasquez 
 
WATT