VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAC #0389/01 1742010
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 232010Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASUNCION
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7921
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMFISS/USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000389 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP BFLECK, WHA/PDA JDICKSON, CPETERSON, INL 
DHOOKER, G/IWI IMARR, AND WHA/BSC MDASCHBACH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV GTIP KPAO GIWI SNAR MX PA
SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL HIGH-PROFILE TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 
CAMPAIGN 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (U) Embassy's Public Diplomacy and Political-Economic 
Sections, and the local Military Information Support Team, 
collaborated on a successful anti-Trafficking in Persons 
(TIP) campaign launched in conjunction with the June 16 
release of the Department's TIP Report.  The campaign brought 
attention to a problem many Paraguayans would prefer to 
ignore, addressed USG policy objectives, dampened possible 
negative reaction to the TIP Report, provided targeted 
assistance, and painted the U.S. in a sympathetic light as a 
country that cares about TIP victims.  The campaign included 
a visiting U.S. speaker specializing in TIP; several media 
events by the Ambassador; an event highlighting a USD 280,000 
donation from G/TIP for an anti-TIP project in the Tri-Border 
Area of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil; an extensive 
anti-TIP radio and print campaign; and the underwriting of 
the publication of a second edition of the Paraguayan 
government's TIP Intervention Manual for prosecutors.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
ANTI-TIP SPEAKER ) U.S ATTORNEY RUBEN PEREZ 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The Embassy kicked off its anti-Trafficking in 
Persons (TIP) campaign during the week of June 8 in the 
lead-up to the June 16 release of the 2009 Trafficking in 
Persons (TIP) Report.  PD programmed a visiting speaker, 
Ruben Perez, a Spanish-speaking U.S. Attorney specializing in 
TIP prosecutions on the Mexican border, who visited Paraguay 
June 7-11.  Mr. Perez gave a series of well-received 
workshops with local prosecutors and presentations at local 
universities; appeared on leading TV and radio shows; and was 
interviewed by all three leading dailies. 
 
¶3.  (U) The keynote event and media magnet for the Embassy's 
anti-TIP campaign was an event anchored by the Ambassador and 
Perez at the Women's Secretariat attended by the Minister of 
Women, the Secretary for Children and Adolescents, the 
country's top TIP prosecutor, and representatives from the 
Foreign Ministry.  Media coverage was extensive and positive 
) bringing further attention to TIP and portraying the U.S. 
in a positive light as a country that cares about TIP 
victims.  Speaker Perez also appeared on the leading evening 
talk show. (NOTE: By coincidence, the talk show host 
(Humberto Rubin) happens to be the husband of the Minister of 
Women who also appeared on the show, a point in our favor as 
we pitched the idea of a show dedicated to TIP.  END NOTE.) 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
IOM TRI-BORDER AREA ANTI-TIP PROJECT DONATION 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) On June 17, the Embassy hosted a media event keynoted 
by the Ambassador to announce a USD 280,000 award from G/TIP 
to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to 
finance a project to assist Paraguayan, Argentine, and 
Brazilian officials to prosecute traffickers, assist TIP 
victims, and alert potential victims of the dangers 
associated with TIP.  Ambassador's speech highlighted both 
the donation and key findings from the Department's TIP 
Report, and she gave IOM Paraguay Director Guillermo Sosa an 
oversized check at the event, widely publicized by Paraguay's 
leading dailies, radio stations, and television outlets.  The 
IOM, Tri-National Anti-TIP Network (a network of anti-TIP 
NGOs in the Tri-Border Area), and 2008 International Women of 
Courage Award winner Cynthia Bendlin (in attendance) will 
work together to implement the project. 
 
---------------------------- 
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Embassy-sponsored anti-TIP radio public service 
announcements (PSAs) began airing June 17 in both Spanish and 
Guarani on 16 radio stations covering over 90 percent of the 
country.  (NOTE: Many TIP victims come from rural eastern 
Paraguay and often do not speak Spanish. END NOTE.)  As part 
of the anti-TIP campaign, PD, Pol-Econ, and the local 
Military Information Support Team (MIST) collaborated with 
the Paraguayan government,s Inter-Institutional Roundtable 
 
for the Prevention and Combat of TIP on the development of 
PSAs (30 seconds) in the form of victim,s testimonials 
designed to highlight the nature of the problem and warn 
potential victims of the dangers posed by human traffickers. 
(NOTE: The Inter-Institutional Roundtable, led by the Foreign 
Ministry and Public Ministry, is the government,s primary 
mechanism for fighting TIP. END NOTE.) 
 
---------------------- 
AMBASSADOR'S OP-ED 
---------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) On Sunday, June 21, ABC Color, the country's leading 
daily, published an op-ed by the Ambassador highlighting in 
part some of the recommendations contained in the TIP report 
while reinforcing our message of positive engagement. 
 
----------------------- 
TIP INTERVENTION MANUAL 
----------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) The Embassy's anti-TIP campaign will conclude with 
the publication of a second edition of the government's TIP 
Intervention Manual on June 30. Originally published by the 
Paraguayan government in 2006 with financial support from 
INL, the manual has been updated to include the new 
Paraguayan TIP statute that went into effect on June 16. MIST 
and INL provided funds to publish 4,000 copies of the revised 
manual. Pol-Econ worked closely with TIP Prosecutor Teresa 
Martinez and her co-author, an anti-TIP crusader, to update 
the manual. The original manual proved so popular that copies 
have been dispersed throughout Latin America.  This revised 
manual will acquaint a new cadre of Paraguayan prosecutors, 
police, and anti-TIP officials with new methods for 
intervening in TIP cases and using the new Paraguayan Penal 
Code to fight human trafficking. 
 
------------------------------------- 
PARAGUAYAN GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR TIP 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) The campaign also reinforced efforts the new 
Paraguayan government has made in the past year to increase 
public awareness of human trafficking and provide additional 
TIP training to government officials.  The government's 
anti-TIP Roundtable launched a five-year report of its 
activities March 13; the report's launch event in Asuncion 
received media attention with then-Foreign Minister Hamed 
Franco presiding.  The Public Ministry hosted an 
International TIP Seminar May 25 in Asuncion attended by over 
300 Paraguayan officials and foreign dignitaries, and the 
Women's Ministry hosted an anti-TIP seminar in Ciudad del 
Este May 27 in conjunction with the MERCOSUR Women's 
Conference.  The Embassy's anti-TIP campaign followed these 
important government-sponsored events and helped boost 
efforts to fight human trafficking. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶9.  (U) The successful collaboration with the Paraguayan 
government on an anti-Trafficking in Persons campaign was 
designed to shed light on an ugly problem, help victims (and 
potential victims), reinforce USG policy goals, and portray 
the U.S. in a sympathetic light as a country that cares about 
TIP victims.  The campaign also helped preempt the Paraguayan 
government's reaction to the TIP report and minimize the 
Paraguayan media's ability to use our Congressional reports 
to criticize the USG.  The collaboration among PD, Pol-Econ, 
and MIST was an excellent example of intradepartmental and 
interagency cooperation and a best practice.  Media coverage, 
both electronic and print, was extensive and reinforced our 
message of positive engagement and bilateral collaboration in 
addressing this very difficult problem.  END COMMENT. 
 
Please visit us at     http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/asuncion 
 
AYALDE