VZCZCXYZ0043
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBE #0533 1651636
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141636Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY BELIZE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0168

UNCLAS BELIZE 000533 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN - JASON MACK 
DEPT FOR WHA/PPC - MICHAEL PUCCETTI 
DEPT FOR G/TIP - LINDA BROWN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN PREL PGOV SMIG VZ CU BH
SUBJECT: BELIZE: 2006 TIP REPORT DEMARCHE DELIVERED 
 
REF: A) STATE 85511; B) BELIZE 403 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Per reftel, post delivered, on June 5, report and 
talking points to CEO Ambassador Amalia Mai and U.N. Desk 
Officer Alphonso Gahona of Belize Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs.  Together with the report, PolOff presented the 60- 
day mini-plan.  Mai's reaction was polite but muted; she 
noted, with reference to the recent USTR Special 301 Watch 
List demarche, that as of late there had not been much good 
news from the USG for Belize.  Mai said that she would brief 
the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the National 
Anti-TIP Committee on Wednesday June 7.  Director of the 
Belize National Anti-TIP Committee Ambassador Dolores 
Balderamos-Garcia has not yet responded to PolOff's requests 
for a meeting. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The local media has given considerable coverage to 
the release of the 2006 TIP Report.  Utilizing Reftel A 
press guidance, PolOff has taken numerous press calls from 
several Belizean media outlets.  Local media reports noted 
that in 2003 Belize had been ranked at Tier 3. 
Additionally, some local press outlets noted that 
insufficient action by the Government of Belize had been one 
reason for the ranking. 
 
¶3.  (U) Thus far there have been several TV, radio and 
newspaper articles regarding the TIP report, including: 
 
¶A.  On Tuesday, June 6, Channel Five evening news' lead 
story was "U.S. Castigates Belize for `Trafficking in 
Persons.'"  Channel Five's anchorwoman had interviewed 
PolOff for the story. 
 
¶B.  The same evening, Channel 7 also carried a brief story 
entitled "U.S. Gives Belize Thumbs Down for Human 
Trafficking."  The story noted that "The Government [of 
Belize] has enacted laws, empowered a task force, performed 
raids, charged traffickers. all that but the U.S. State 
Department says this country is not doing enough to curb 
human trafficking." Channel 7 also commented that "two 
fierce opponents of the United States" are also on the list 
- Venezuela and Cuba. 
 
¶C.  On Wednesday, June 7, LoveFM radio interviewed PolOff 
and Ambassador Dolores Balderamos-Garcia.  Balderamos-Garcia 
stated that she was "disappointed but not surprised" by 
Belize's ranking.  She also cited the recent positive step 
Belize has made by joining the Latin American Network for 
Missing Persons. 
 
¶D.  On the Wednesday, June 7, the Prime Minister addressed 
the issue on the Channel Five evening news.  Giving his 
thoughts on why Belize was ranked Tier 3, the PM stated: 
"That Belize is now lumped and almost put in a box, so to 
speak, with Venezuela and Cuba; I don't think its pure 
coincidence.  Because, when you analyze the issue of human 
trafficking, we have done a lot in this country to address 
the issue.  Police, the immigration, people have raided 
constantly in addressing this issue of prostitution for 
instance and the whole question of human trafficking we've 
done a lot.  But those who seek to judge us should perhaps 
examine their own decadent societies before they come and 
pass judgment on us." 
 
¶E.  On the June 8 LoveFM morning news, Carmen Zetina, 
Director of Immigration, gave an interview stating that the 
Belize Department of Immigration is committed in the fight 
against trafficking in persons and that they are grateful 
for assistance from the U.S. Government (USG) noting the USG 
sponsored machine readable passport (MRP) program.  Zetina 
went on to state that Immigration's IT Unit is working on a 
nationwide network to track incidents of human trafficking 
and other immigration offenses. 
 
¶F.  On Thursday, June 8, a weekly newspaper (The Reporter) 
ran an article entitled "Belize Not Doing Enough to Stop 
Human Trafficking."  The article cited the Prime Minister's 
speculation from the previous evening's news that Belize's 
ranking is in part due to its relations with Venezuela and 
Cuba.  The article also noted PolOff's statement that the 
formal report to the U.S. Congress on Global Trafficking was 
not in response to relationships Belize may have with other 
nations. 
 
MOSS