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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #0571/01 1982025
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 172025Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3602
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2833
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 3844
RHMFISS/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DIRJIATF SOUTH
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 000571 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA: EMBASSY BRIEFS INCOMING GOVERNMENT ON 
SECURITY STRATEGY 
 
Classified By: Charge David R. Gilmour for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  (C)  "You have saved us six months time getting started," 
Panama's Vice President and Foreign Minister Juan Carlos 
Varela told the Ambassador June 23, following a security 
briefing by the Embassy Law Enforcement and Security Working 
Group (LESWG) for the incoming GOP security leadership. 
Varela, Minister of Government and Justice Jose Raul Mulino 
and Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez all reacted very 
positively to the Embassy's presentation, which they all said 
helped them understand the make up of the LESWG, and to see 
the unified strategy that guided all the different USG 
agencies. The briefing highlighted the excellent security 
cooperation the USG has enjoyed with Panama, the Embassy's 
assessment of the security challenges faced by Panama, and 
the Embassy's strategy for supporting Panama, including 
Merida Initiative programs and Post's 1207 proposal. Varela 
asked that such meetings be held every six months to keep the 
GOP leadership informed of the progress on security issues. 
End Summary. 
 
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You Have Saved Us 6 Months 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C)  The Ambassador led the five hour briefing by the 
Embassy LESWG for the incoming administration's security 
leadership, led by Varela, Mulino and Gomez. The heads of all 
the major Panamanian security institutions attended the 
event, which was organized by NAS. Varela declared that the 
briefing gave the incoming leadership a full grasp of the 
Embassy's evaluation of the security situation, its capacity 
to assist, and the USG's strategic vision of how Panama 
should move forward to confront its security challenges. 
Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez said that after five years 
in office the briefing had finally given her a good 
understanding of the USG's security strategy and operational 
structure. Mulino reacted by speaking very frankly about the 
GOP's determination to work with the Government of Colombia 
to increase the governmental presence on each side of their 
shared frontier, increase cooperation on immigration, and 
implement a demobilization campaign for the FARC. He 
emphasized the danger the increasing crime rate represented 
to Panama's economic development, and welcomed the USG's 
support. 
 
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The Briefing 
------------ 
 
¶3.  (C)  The LESWG briefing stressed the shared security 
interests of Panama and the U.S., especially the continued 
stability of Panama in the face of international crime and 
narco-terrorism. Briefers laid out the threat posed to Panama 
by drug trafficking in Panama's territorial waters, and how 
this tended to strengthen the domestic gang threat by 
providing opportunities for local gangs to work for 
international drug trafficking organizations as they move the 
drugs on short hops along the coast, and transfer to land. 
The briefing stressed the links between the international 
drug trafficking threat and Panama's domestic crime wave. 
Briefers went on to show how the Embassy's proposed Darien 
strategy to increase government presence in areas with a FARC 
presence and increase police capability, to be funded in part 
with 1207 funds that have now received a preliminary 
approval, would support an overall strategy to confront 
criminality in Panama and promote democratic stability. The 
briefing also highlighted the Embassy's plans for Merida 
Initiative funding to promote community policing and develop 
youth programs to prevent young people from being recruited 
into gangs. 
 
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Support for Merida 
------------------ 
 
¶4.  (C)   Gomez praised the Embassy's focus on the growing 
 
gang problem in Panama through its Merida strategy, and said 
she would support it. Varela said he was happy with the 
emphasis USAID's Merida program placed on working with and 
strengthening existing NGOs and religious groups. He offered 
to provide resources to organize a meeting of stake holders 
interested in crime prevention programs. Varela also 
expressed interest in NAS's proposals to establish a body in 
the MOGJ to investigate high level and institutional 
corruption in the security services. PNP Director-designate 
Gustavo Perez and MOGJ Vice Minister of Public Security 
Alejandro Garuz both expressed their support for NAS's 
Merida-financed community police training program. Perez said 
that he strongly supported community policing, and would 
support NAS's program however he could. 
 
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Strategic Planning 
------------------ 
 
¶5.  (C)  The Ambassador stressed the importance of developing 
a strategic planning capability in the government, and 
especially for the development of the security services. 
Mulino said that they were bringing in McKinsy & Company 
consultants to look at the Ministry of Government and Justice 
(MOGJ) and the security services and develop a plan. Garuz 
said that he wanted to introduce a 15 year plan for the 
security services, laying out a strategy for acquiring 
equipment, improving training, and reforming the 
administration of the security services. He said he wanted to 
move uniformed officers out of administration and bring in 
civilian professionals to the MOGJ to improve the 
administration of the services. 
 
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Other Deliverables 
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¶6.  (C)  Varela agreed to a public signing ceremony for the 
Assistance Agreement for USAID's ESF money within the first 
week of the new government (Note: the ceremony took place on 
July 7 End Note.) Varela also told Post CBP officer that the 
new government was interested in developing an Advance 
Passenger Information System (APIS) program with the USG, and 
that it would be a high priority for them. 
 
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Comment 
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¶7.  (C)  By putting USG security programs in their broader 
strategic context, demonstrating a united Embassy security 
team with strong leadership from the Ambassador, and showing 
the Embassy's concern for Panama's own security concerns, the 
briefing disarmed the suspicions of Varela and Mulino that 
they were being asked to use their scarce security resources 
to meet the needs of the USG in detriment to their own 
security needs. The key to the briefing's success was showing 
a close correlation between Panama's domestic crime problems 
and the international drug trafficking networks the Embassy 
targets. We were able to show that their connections were 
real, and that we were designing our strategy with an eye to 
protecting Panama's stability, and not just to catch more 
drugs. The leaders of the new government were also reassured 
that there was one unified Embassy security strategy under 
the leadership of the Ambassador, which would allow them to 
maintain control of their security relationship with the USG 
through the Ambassador. Varela and Mulino were visibly 
relieved after the briefing, while Gomez was thrilled to have 
been given an opportunity to understand the full breadth of 
US-Panamanian security cooperation. Post believes that the 
briefing has given us an excellent opportunity to develop 
relationships and expand security cooperation in a spirit of 
partnership that will benefit both nations. 
GILMOUR