VZCZCXYZ0025
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #2119/01 2991643
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 261643Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9575
INFO RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 002119 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON KTFN SNAR KJUS KCRM PHUM KWNM
SMIG, KFRD, ASEC, AR 
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE JUSTICE MINISTER DISCUSSES TIP, MONEY 
LAUNDERING, AND A HUMAN RIGHTS-RELATED DEPORTATION CASE 
 
REF: A. BUENOS AIRES 1946 
     ¶B. BUENOS AIRES 1964 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador E.A. Wayne for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
¶1. (C) Introduction:  This cable covers and provides updates 
on issues that Justice Minister Alberto Iribarne and the 
Ambassador discussed during their recent meeting (reftels). 
They include: 1) status of Trafficking in Persons legislation 
and Justice Ministry efforts to push for its passage; 2) 
Minister's plans to use the recently concluded money 
laundering/terrorism finance "National Agenda" to improve 
strengthen Argentina's legal/regulatory regime and improve 
inter-agency coordination with regards to financial crimes; 
3) Treasury Office of Technical Assistance assessment visit; 
4) Embassy's delivery of a diplomatic note raising concerns 
about alleged mistreatment of a detained U.S. citizen; and 5) 
status of the USG deportation to Argentina of a wanted 
Argentine human rights violator.   Post reported separately 
on the Minister's broad plans for legal reform in Argentina 
(Ref A), and the prospect of coordinating efforts (Ref B) to 
convince Bolivia, Colombia, and Paraguay to pay delinquent 
dues to GAFISUD (Southern Cone Financial Action Task Force). 
End Introduction. 
 
Limited Movement on TIP legislation 
----------------------------------- 
¶2. (C) The Ambassador commented to the Minister that Senator 
(and Presidential front-runner) Cristina Fernandez de 
Kirchner had told him in mid-September that she expected the 
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) law to be passed with no 
problems after the October 28 elections.  The Minister agreed 
and asserted that he and Interior Minister Fernandez were 
speaking to Argentine legislators, urging them to forge a 
consensus in order to pass legislation soon. 
 
¶3. (C) The Ambassador acknowledged that differences among the 
bills remained, but stressed that TIP victims needed help 
now.  Minister Iribarne agreed and commented that while his 
broader focus was to pass the legislation, in the meantime 
the GoA had established a new program to assist TIP victims. 
Iribarne stated that the MOJ had published a resolution in 
July establishing a national program to prevent TIP and 
provide victims assistance.  The program director reports 
directly to him, he explained, and is charged with 
coordinating interagency efforts to provide victims' 
assistance.  It will also work with NGOs to conduct public 
awareness campaigns.  Although Iribarne claimed that the 
Ministry's new program included famed TIP activist Susanna 
Trimarco, Trimarco informed Emboffs separately that she 
declined the Ministry's invitation to lead the program. 
 
National AML/CTF Agenda and Treasury Assessment Visit 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
¶4. (C) The Ambassador congratulated Iribarne on the Argentine 
Congress' passage in June of counter-terrorism and 
counter-terrorism finance legislation (BA 1183), which went 
into force in mid-July.  He also congratulated him on 
President Kirchner's September 11 signing of the decree to 
enact the "National Agenda for the Fight Against Money 
Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism" (reported BA 
1826). 
 
¶5. (C) The Ambassador commented on how the USG was impressed 
with the GoA's actions over the last two years to fortify its 
regime against financial crimes: strengthening money 
laundering legislation, reorganizing the Financial 
Investigative Unit, establishing special anti-money 
laundering and counter-terrorism finance (AML/CTF) units at 
the Central Bank, Attorney General's Office, and AFIP 
(Argentine version of the IRS).  Furthermore, the Ambassador 
noted, the fact that Argentina had criminalized terrorism 
financing put it at the forefront in Latin America in the 
fight against terrorism.  The Ambassador encouraged the 
Minister to have the GoA take the next step and become an 
active participant in the global fight against terrorism. 
This included, in particular, identifying persons in the 
region to add to the UN terrorism lists.  The Ambassador 
urged the Minister to reach out to Argentine intelligence and 
law enforcement agencies to develop such cases. 
 
¶6. (C) Iribarne responded that the FATF President's critical 
observations of Argentina's financial crimes regime during 
his visit to Argentina in early 2006 had lit a fire under the 
GOA, leading to significant legal and regulatory improvements 
 
to the AML/CTF regime.  Iribarne noted that the National 
Agenda was the government's initiative to continue this 
effort to strengthen the overall AML/CTF regime and enhance 
the application of the country's AML and CTF laws and 
regulations.  The Minister asserted that his Ministry had the 
central coordinating role in this area, but that each 
relevant Ministry had its own, specific targets.  Recognizing 
that implementation of all the new AML/CTF laws and 
regulations is the key challenge, the Minister noted his 
intention to follow-up regularly with Ministries and Agencies 
to push them to meet their targets. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Background Note:  the National AML/CTF Agenda 
establishes 20 broad objectives, many of which conform to 
FATF AML/CTF recommendations.  In general the objectives are 
focused on strengthening existing laws and regulations (and 
correcting legislative weaknesses) and improving 
intra-government coordination.  The objectives range from 
increasing funding and capacity training to Argentina's 
Financial Investigative Unit, to improving detection of 
cross-border cash transfers, to eliminating some of the 
secrecy barriers that complicate sharing of information among 
agencies and with the private financial sector. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Ambassador briefed the Minister on the 
mid-September visit to Argentina of a U.S. Treasury Office of 
Technical Assistance team.  The Treasury officials visited 
Buenos Aires to perform an informal assessment of the GoA's 
regulatory agencies capacities and training needs, primarily 
in the area of counter-terrorism finance (BA 1417).  The 
Ambassador noted that the USG goal was to assist in 
developing an AML/CTF training program tailored specifically 
to the needs and interests of the Central Bank and other GoA 
regulatory agencies. 
 
Diplomatic Note Regarding Detained Amcit Case 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶9. (C) The Ambassador informed Iribarne that the Embassy had 
submitted a diplomatic note expressing concern about an 
incarcerated U.S. citizen's allegations of mistreatment by 
prison guards.  He also noted that the Embassy was requesting 
that the appropriate authorities investigate the allegations. 
 Post subsequently forwarded to Iribarne a copy of the note, 
which raised concerns over improper treatment of prisoner 
John Murphy in early August, and related details of Murphy's 
allegations against the prison guards.  Murphy had been 
arrested upon arrival in Buenos Aires for alleged indecent 
behavior toward a flight attendant. 
 
¶10. (C) Iribarne subsequently (October 12) told the 
Ambassador that he had ordered an inquiry into the case.  He 
also told the Ambassador that he had ordered that an English 
speaker always be present for any communication with 
English-speaking prisoners who do not speak Spanish. 
Possibly as a result of this case, the Under Secretary for 
Prison Affairs Federico Ramos and National Director of 
Prisons Alejandro Marambio told Post Consular Officers that 
they are considering ways to improve treatment of 
English-speaking foreign prisoners.  Specifically, the prison 
officials are proposing to house such prisoners together, to 
improve their social situation and provide better services to 
them as a group.  Post's Consular Officers are discussing 
this idea with counterparts from other English-speaking 
Embassies to gauge interest in offering this option to their 
citizens arrested in Argentina. 
 
Deportation of Wanted Argentine Human Rights Violator 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
¶11. (C) The Ambassador mentioned that Argentine citizen 
Ernesto Barreiro, apprehended in the Virginia on visa fraud, 
had agreed to be deported back to Argentina where he is 
sought for alleged human rights violations.  The Minister 
agreed that deportation was a much preferred option to 
extradition, which is legally more complex and a more lengthy 
process.  Barreiro is wanted by Argentine law enforcement 
authorities for alleged human rights abuses while serving as 
an Argentine military official under the military 
dictatorship in the 1970s.  Specifically, he is alleged to 
have been in charge of a torture facility called "La Perla," 
located in Cordoba Province, where an estimated 100 persons 
were allegedly tortured or killed. 
 
¶12. (C) ICE officials in Buenos Aires and Washington have 
coordinated with Argentine authorities over the last year to 
obtain the necessary evidence to arrest and deport Barreiro 
 
back to Argentina.  On April 1, 2007, Barreiro was arrested 
and taken into ICE custody.  On September 7, 2007, he pled 
guilty to one count of visa fraud (18 USC 1546, Fraud and 
Misue of Visa Documents), and was subsequently sentenced to 
six months imprisonment.  Barreiro had already served over 
five months of his sentence, and is currently set to be 
deported on October 29, arriving Argentina October 30, where 
he will be turned over to officials from Interpol Argentina. 
 
WAYNE