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UNCLAS LA PAZ 000306 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR INL/LP, G/TIP, G LAURA PENA, WHA/PPC 
ADDRESSEE EMBASSIES FOR NAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM BL KTIP ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN PGOV PREF SMIG KMCA
SUBJECT: BOLIVIA TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) ANNUAL REPORT 
(2009-2010) 
 
REF: 10 STATE 2094 
 
¶1. (SBU) Embassy La Paz submits the following response to the 
 
questions posed in paragraphs 25-35 of the cable guidance (reftel) 
 
regarding the 2009 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report. 
 
 
 
¶25.  THE COUNTRY'S TIP SITUATION: 
 
 
 
¶A. The primary sources for the information contained in this report 
 
come from the Bolivian National Police (BNP)-Trafficking in Persons 
 
Investigative Units, Public Ministry Prosecutor offices, United 
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Office of International Migration 
(OIM) and several other Government and non-government organizations 
(NGOs) involved in TIP and Victim Assistance Programs.  These 
sources are considered reliable. 
 
 
 
¶B. Bolivia remains a Tier Two county of origin and destination for 
the international trafficking of persons in the area of both sexual 
and labor exploitation. The current socio-economic conditions and 
lack of sufficient job opportunities make thousands of Bolivian 
men, women and children highly vulnerable to the risks of 
trafficking in persons and related violations. 
 
 
 
C & D. Criminal trafficking networks and organizations continue to 
seek their victims among this vulnerable population.  Consequently, 
many people, especially young men, women, and children who suffer 
discrimination, abandonment, sexual and intra-familiar violence, 
and/or early responsibility for their family sustenance, find 
themselves forced to look for alternatives in other places.  For 
this reason, there are a significant number of Bolivian Nationals 
who annually migrate to neighboring countries in the region.  An 
estimated one million Bolivian immigrants now live in Argentina. 
Some of these migrants end up as victims of labor and/or sexual 
exploitation. Thousands of young women are trafficked internally in 
Bolivia for the purpose of sexual exploitation and prostitution in 
the cities of La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. Studies conducted 
by the OIM, along with a number of other NGO's, reveal that in 
Bolivia a significant percentage of the sexual workers, believed to 
be an excess of 40 percent, are victims of TIP. Investigations and 
intelligence also indicate that hundreds of businesses are 
operating in Bolivia illegally, not following existing labor laws, 
and are exploiting workers, to include, in many cases, minors. 
 
 
 
Police, customs, immigration reports, and NGO studies show that 
hundreds of minors under the age of 18 leave the country monthly 
under suspicious circumstances via seven primary locations along 
the borders in Bolivia. These border locations are Villazon, 
Yacuiba, Bermejo, Desaguadero, Puerto Suarez, Cobija and 
Guayaramerin. These areas are identified by law enforcement and 
customs officials as areas utilized by traffickers to smuggle 
children in and out of the country for the purpose of both sexual 
and labor exploitation. 
 
 
 
Police and other reporting continue to identify situations where 
families along the borders between Bolivia and Peru (Desaguadero) 
are selling and/or renting their children to work in the 
agricultural fields and mines in Peru. The current selling price of 
a minor child is reported to be 300 bolivianos, which is equivalent 
 
 
to roughly 40 USD.  In some cases, poor families are renting their 
children for 50 bolivianos per month which is equivalent to 7 USD. 
 
 
 
¶E. Information received continues to reveal that every year 
thousands of Bolivian men and woman move to neighboring countries 
for job opportunities with the assistance of travel agencies or 
businesses posing as travel agencies. As part of the alleged travel 
package, legal papers and housing in other countries are also 
included. However, many of these cases end in either labor or 
sexual exploitation situations. Authorities in the region are 
reporting that some of the cases resulted in Bolivian laborers 
working under conditions tantamount to slavery in workshops and 
factories for more than 15 hours a day for little or no pay and 
living in inhumane conditions. 
 
 
 
¶26. SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-TIP EFFORTS: 
 
 
 
¶A. The Government of Bolivia (GOB) openly acknowledges that 
trafficking in persons is a significant problem throughout the 
country. 
 
 
 
¶B. The GOB institutions responsible for addressing the TIP issues 
in Bolivia are the Ministry of Government, along with the Ministry 
of Justice and the Public Ministry. All three are moving forward in 
taking an aggressive role in this area.  The GOB --in particular 
the Bolivian Congress', Human Rights Commission-- has made 
substantial efforts on the issue by revising and re-writing more 
effective laws regarding the trafficking of persons and in 
particular the commercial sexual exploitation of children.  In 
addition, there has been a marked increase in law enforcement 
actions against suspected traffickers in La Paz, Cochabamba and 
Santa Cruz, rescuing and assisting trafficking victims, and 
increasing public awareness regarding the nature and dangers of 
human trafficking. The Public Ministry (Police and Prosecutors) 
lead the fight in this area. Local governments are also assigning 
resources, and are developing procedures for the protection and 
assistance of trafficking victims through collaboration with 
municipal authorities and non-governmental organizations. 
 
 
 
¶C. The primary limitation of the GOB in developing a sufficient TIP 
program continues to be the lack of funding for the police forces 
and other institutions that are charged with this responsibility. 
The GOB continues to depend on the USG, NGOs and international 
cooperation for support in these various programs and initiatives. 
 
 
 
¶D. Due to its clandestine and irregular nature, TIP violations 
continue to be difficult to quantify and to monitor systematically. 
Presently, information regarding these violations remains 
unreliable, and a national computerized database on the situation 
of TIP in the country does not yet exist. There is a new 
initiative, supported by the USG this reporting period, to create a 
national criminal information system (CDI) that will also track TIP 
cases in country. Current statistics are maintained independently 
in each major city by BNP TIP /SIU offices and retrievable through 
those respective locations. In addition, there are various 
organizations and NGOs who also attempt to maintain independent 
statistics relating to their respective projects and interests. 
 
 
 
¶27. INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS: 
 
 
a. A National Anti-Human Trafficking Council was created in 2005, 
that  was mandated to design and implement policies and laws 
regarding the issue of trafficking in persons. The Vice Ministry 
for Gender and Generational Issues has taken the lead on these 
matters within the Ministry of Justice. The Government of Bolivia 
penalizes Human Trafficking via Law 3325.  The Ministry of 
Government, including the National Police, Immigration Service, 
Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Labor, and Sustainable Development, 
as well as prefectures and municipalities through Defenders of 
Children, have secondary responsibility in the issue of TIP 
violations. 
 
 
 
Law NO. 3160 entitled "Law against the Trafficking of Children and 
Adolescents" was approved on August 26, 2005 and was the first 
concrete advance within the GOB to address the issue of TIP 
violations.  A second Law 3325, Trafficking in Persons and Other 
Related Crimes became effective January 18, 2006 and included 
important articles regarding Trafficking in Persons, trafficking of 
migrants, pornography and other related offenses involving minors. 
 
 
 
This law specifically criminalizes trafficking in persons for the 
purpose of prostitution and other sexual offenses and provides for 
terms of imprisonment  from 4 to 12 years when the victim is less 
than 14 years of age. 
 
 
 
On November 29, 2007, noting the new requirements established under 
 
Law 3160, the BNP Command issued orders to the BNP national Force 
Against Crime (FELCC) requesting the modification of the 
jurisdictional capacity of the TIP units in the investigation of 
crimes related to trafficking in persons. With this modification, 
the units are now capable of investigating: 
 
trafficking in persons, corruption of minors, torture corruption, 
pimping, publications and public displays of obscenity, and 
slavery. 
 
 
 
On September 18, 2008 Law 3933 and 3934 went into effect expanding 
several TIP related areas: 
 
 
 
LAW 3933- (Important articles) 
 
Art 1- Expands the current regulations addressing the registration 
and diffusion of information regarding kidnapped/missing children. 
 
 
 
Art 4, 5 and 6- Directs parents, relatives and others with 
information to immediately report a kidnapped or missing child to 
the authorities and directs the authorities to take immediate 
action to investigate and search for the child. 
 
 
 
Art 9- Directs the Police Headquarters of the BNP to create a 
national database with appropriate access to all TIPS units, Public 
Ministry Offices, Departmental Social Services Institution 
(SEDEGES) and NGOs to assist in the passing and coordination of 
information regarding missing children. 
 
 
Art 10- Directs the Ministry of Government and the Ministry of 
Justice to 
 
enforce this law. 
 
 
 
Art 11- Directs the BNP, with support from the Ministry of 
Government, to open BNP/TIP Special Investigative Units throughout 
the country. 
 
 
 
Law 3934- 
 
Art 1- Directs the Public Ministry to provide free DNA tests in 
rape and other sexual abuse crimes where the victims are minors. 
 
 
 
Art 3- Indicates that the GOB will increase the budget to the 
Public Ministry to cover the expenses of this law. 
 
 
 
The new Bolivian Constitution (CPE) passed on January 25, 2009, 
includes a prohibition of the trafficking and smuggling of persons, 
of slavery, forced labor and child labor. 
 
 
 
New draft TIP legislation was submitted before Congress for review 
during this reporting period. This legislation involves some 
significant changes in the current law and would expand the 
capabilities of the police, prosecutors and judges in this area.  A 
synopsis of the major areas covered in this draft legislation 
follows: 
 
 
 
1)  A section identified as "Principles and Definitions" provides a 
description of the fundamentals involved in these crimes and 
clarifies the essential elements of the law; 
 
 
 
2)  The law would create several different programs, offices and 
institutions to address and prevent these crimes, provide 
assistance to the victims, process the cases, and ensure the police 
and prosecutors receive adequate training in this specialized area 
of the law; 
 
 
 
3)  The law would allow Judges more flexibility to seize the assets 
of  persons and organizations involved in trafficking in persons 
offenses; 
 
 
 
4)  With the authorization of a judge, the police and the 
prosecutors will be able to use undercover agents in their 
respective investigations; 
 
 
 
5)  The new legislation would significantly improve and strengthen 
the law in regard to pornography and corruption of children. 
 
 
 
The GOB increased law enforcement efforts to target trafficking 
crimes over this past year. Special anti-trafficking BNP units , 
supported by the Embassy's Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS), opened 
 
 
a total of 288 TIP cases during 2009 which represents a 21 percent 
increase over the number of cases during 2008 (from 229). 
Currently there are four units operating in country (La Paz, El 
Alto, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba). 
 
 
 
¶B. Forcing an individual under 18 years old into prostitution 
 
carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment. 
 
 
 
¶C. The GOB law currently relating to Labor Trafficking offenses are 
the Code of the Child and Adolescent, approved in 1999, that states 
"children cannot work until they have reached the age of 14." 
Article 61, Paragraph II of the Political Constitution of the State 
"Prohibits work and child exploitation", and Law 1942-12-08, The 
Child and Adolescent Code also speaks directly to the prohibition 
of children being exploited in the labor market as delineated 
below. 
 
 
 
ARTICLE 58 prohibits the work of minors under the age of 14 years, 
except in the case of an apprenticeship. Minors less than 18 years 
of age will not be able to contract themselves for work superior to 
their forces, or for work that could slow down their normal 
physical development. 
 
 
 
ARTICLE 59 prohibits the work of women and minors in dangerous, 
unhealthy or heavy working conditions, and in occupations that 
would harm their morality and/or moral convention. 
 
 
 
ARTICLE 60 states that women and minors under the age of 18 years 
will only be allowed to work during the day with the exception of 
working in an infirmary, domestic service, and other jobs that will 
be determined. 
 
 
 
In addition, the GOB is working to eliminate child labor and 
related crimes and violations through the funding of its National 
Plan for the Protection of Child Labor 2000-2010.  The Plan's 
strategic objectives include the reduction of child labor, the 
protection of workers, and the elimination of the worst forms of 
this type of labor. 
 
 
 
However, studies conducted by the National Institute of Statistics 
(INE) along with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) 
indicate that there are an estimated 300,000 children in Bolivia 
between the ages of 7-17 currently working an excess of 48 hours 
per week. The majority of these children are indigenous and work in 
the streets as beggars, window washers, and sellers of small items. 
It is not unusual for an adult, normally an indigenous female, to 
have a group of 3-5 small children working in an area all day long 
and providing her with the money they make.  These children may or 
may not be her own. 
 
 
 
¶D. Rape and sexual assault continue to represent a serious but 
often under-reported problem in Bolivia. Law 2033 -"Law to Protect 
Victims"- defines two types of criminal cases, private and public. 
In private criminal matters, the victim brings the case against the 
defendant; in public criminal matters, a state prosecutor files the 
criminal charges. The Code of Criminal Procedure makes rape and 
sexual assault a public crime. The law, as modified, criminalizes 
 
 
statutory rape, with penalties of 10 to 20 years for the rape of a 
child under the age of 14. In cases involving consensual sex with 
an adolescent between 14 to 18 years of age, the penalty is two to 
six years' 
 
imprisonment. Forcible sexual assault of an adult is punished by 
sentences ranging from four to ten years imprisonment. Sexual 
crimes against minors are automatically considered public crimes in 
which the state presses charges. 
 
 
 
¶E. As mentioned above, the GOB/BNP investigated a total of 289 
cases involving trafficking in persons, which is a 26 percent 
increase over the number of TIP cases investigated the previous 
year (229). The cases are broken down as follows: 
 
 
 
BNP/Special Investigative Units: 
 
La Paz -        81 cases (+52 percent) 
 
El Alto-        67 cases (+22 percent 
 
Cochabamba-     68 cases (+28 percent) 
 
Santa Cruz-     73 cases (+7 percent) 
 
Total:          289      (+26 percent) 
 
 
 
Of these 289 cases, 183 remain in an investigative status, either 
with the police and/or prosecutors after initial criminal charges 
were filed: seventy nine cases have been dismissed due to lack of 
sufficient evidence; ten are in the initial charging phase; five 
are in trial; four in transit to another district; and seven 
adjudicated with three pleas and one guilty verdict and three 
suspended with a period of probation. 
 
 
 
The charges in these 288 cases involve the following TIPS related 
criminal violations: 
 
 
 
- Trafficking of Human Beings 
 
- Kidnapping of Minors 
 
- Improper Kidnapping 
 
- Corruption of a Minor 
 
- Corruption of an Adult 
 
- Pimping 
 
- Pornography 
 
- Domestic Servitude 
 
 
 
During the investigation of these 289 TIP cases, the BNP was able 
to rescue 287 victims of trafficking (VOTs). The average age of 
these rescued victims was 13-16 years old, and all were involved in 
sexual exploitation circumstances. 
 
 
 
In addition, there have been 1882 cases of missing and/or kidnapped 
 
 
children reported during this period, a two percent increase from 
last year. 
 
 
 
La Paz- 358   (-41 percent) 
 
El Alto-410   (+48 percent) 
 
Santa Cruz-415(-29 percent) 
 
Cochabamba-699(+84 percent) 
 
 
 
To date, 1458 of these cases were solved with the children returned 
to their respective families, and 424 still remain missing. 
 
 
 
¶F. The GOB in conjunction with the USG and other regional 
counterparts, provided several training courses to both BNP and 
prosecutors in the areas of trafficking in persons and human rights 
during this reporting period. 
 
 
 
Several conferences, seminars and educational initiatives 
addressing both TIP and VOT issues were sponsored by the USG/NAS 
during 2009, to include the  First International Trafficking in 
Persons Conference that was attended by over 200 representatives 
from Bolivia and the surrounding regional countries.  The USG is 
working closely with the UN and the OIM in both trafficking in 
persons and victims assistance programs. 
 
 
 
The USG, at the request of the GOB began an initiative to open an 
additional 6 BNP Special Investigative Units along the frontiers 
with Brazil, Argentina and Peru. Each unit will have a BNP 
supervisor and five investigators dedicated to TIP issues at the 
borders.  The Public Ministry assigned GOB prosecutors to support 
the investigative work of these new TIP units. A two- week 
extensive TIP training course was provided to these newly 
commissioned investigators and prosecutors by the NAS. 
 
 
 
¶G. The GOB, specifically the BNP and Prosecutor's offices, works 
closely with regional counterparts addressing common international 
TIP issues.  Currently, plans are in place for a NAS-sponsored 
Second Annual International TIP Conference scheduled for March 2010 
in La Paz. This conference will address joint regional border TIP 
issues with emphasis on the coordination of international 
investigations and prosecutions of these violations. 
 
 
 
¶H. There have been no extraditions of TIP violators this reporting 
period. 
 
 
 
¶I. No evidence has come forth during this reporting period that GOB 
officials and/or representatives have been involved in or tolerate 
the Trafficking in Persons. 
 
 
 
¶J. N/A 
 
 
 
¶K. Prostitution is legal for adults age 18 and older in Bolivia. 
 
 
Brothel 
 
owners/operators, along with clients and pimps, are legal under the 
law when operating within the guidelines and restrictions of the 
code. These laws, however, are not rigorously enforced in Bolivia. 
 
 
 
¶L. N/A 
 
 
 
¶M. Although prostitution is legal in Bolivia for persons of 18 
years or 
 
older, the country is not identified as a child sex tourism 
location. 
 
 
 
¶28. PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS 
 
 
 
¶A. The GOB has assigned resources and is developing procedures for 
protecting and assisting victims of trafficking through 
collaboration with municipal authorities and NGOs. Law 2026, Code 
of the Child and Adolescent has established GOB entities for the 
protection of minors, to include government commissions and the 
Ombdusman Office. Article 5 clearly establishes the rights of 
minors as does Article 7, 9 and 14. 
 
 
 
¶B. There are existing shelters available for VOTs in country. Some 
are equipped to provide medical and psychological care; however, in 
general, there is not enough space for the numbers of VOTs which 
remains a problem and significant issue. Little re-integration 
training is currently available to these victims, something that is 
being addressed in new GOB/USG TIP initiatives. As an example, the 
Department of La Paz has a shelter for victims of trafficking. It 
currently houses 36 young girls aged 13-16 and is being directly 
supported by the NAS.  In addition to infrastructure and 
administrative support, NAS has constructed a computer training 
laboratory within the facility and provides scheduled classes for 
these victims as part of a re-integration program. A second shelter 
sponsored by the Catholic Church is located in the city of El Alto 
and also supported by the NAS victim's assistance program. This 
shelter houses 16 young girls all of whom have babies as a result 
of sexual exploitation. Currently, the NAS has contracted with two 
Bolivian professionals to coordinate and implement the National 
Victims Assistance Program. Several new initiatives are underway 
that involve training and awareness programs nationwide. 
 
 
 
¶C. In 2007, the District Attorney office in Santa Cruz created a 
temporary shelter for VOTs at their Special Victims Unit office. 
The special victims unit (SVU) investigates and prosecutes crimes 
involving the trafficking of persons, sexual and family abuse and 
exploitation. During this reporting period a total of 1260 cases 
were handled by this SVU. Of these, 73 were TIP related, the 
remaining 1187 involved family abuse cases, most of which were rape 
and assault against children. The SVU has five full-time 
prosecutors, a group of six National Police investigators (FELCC) 
along with a full-time doctor, psychologist on staff who work 
directly providing support and medical assistance to the victims. 
The facility has a small shelter utilized during the investigative 
and prosecution phase of the cases. The USG continues to provide 
both technical and financial support to this unit, which is being 
promoted in country as an example of successful collaboration of 
services for VOT's. 
 
 
¶D. There are no dedicated GOB programs in place to provide 
immigration relief to VOT's from other regional countries. The GOB 
makes minimal efforts to support repatriated VOTs. It does not 
provide direct financial assistance or medical aid; however, 
several shelters have relationships with local medical personnel to 
provide care to these VOTs when appropriate. A program is also 
being implemented by the OIM in this area. 
 
 
 
¶E. No long term shelter for VOTs is available through GOB projects 
 
or support. However, privately funded faith based shelters do exist 
in Bolivia that offer VOT's extended residence while providing them 
with re-integration training. 
 
 
 
¶F. A GOB program is in place to transfer VOTs that have been 
involved in minor criminal offenses to local shelters, rather than 
being incorporated. This program is targeted primarily at minor 
children since no juvenile detention facilities exist within the 
judicial system in Bolivia. 
 
 
 
¶G. No national statistics are available for the recording of VOTs 
in country. 
 
 
 
¶H. The GOB currently does not have a formal system in place to 
identify victims of trafficking among high-risk persons. The 
police, however, are well aware of the frequency involving minor 
females being recruited and/or trafficked to work in the legal 
sexual work force in Bolivia. In many cases, these minors end up 
working in sexual exploitation circumstances. As a result, the 
police frequently are involved in investigation and raids of 
brothels resulting in the rescue of VOTs. 
 
 
 
¶I. The rights of VOTs are generally respected and they are not 
treated as criminals. However, not all GOB officials and police are 
well trained in identifying TIP victims. In many departments of 
Bolivia there are no shelters or protection programs for these 
VOTs.  The representatives working in National Victim/Witness 
Assistance Programs are meeting with GOB and NGO organizations in 
hopes of providing needed services to victims of sexual and labor 
exploitation. 
 
 
 
¶J. The GOB, in particular the BNP and Prosecutor offices, encourage 
victims to assist in the investigation and prosecution of 
trafficking cases. Victims can also file civil and criminal suits 
under current law; however, they typically do not take action 
because of their inability to afford private counsel and fear of 
reprisals from the criminals. NGO International Justice Mission 
(IJM) provides free legal assistance to these victims of 
trafficking on a case by case basis. 
 
 
 
¶K. No specialized training in the identification of TIP victims is 
provided by the GOB; however, the USG along with other NGOs provide 
training, seminars and educational information to police, 
prosecutors and the general population regarding TIP and other 
human rights related crimes. 
 
 
 
¶L. The GOB has no dedicated program in place to provide assistance 
 
 
to its nationals who are repatriated as victims of trafficking. 
 
 
 
¶M. A number of international organizations, both public and 
private, work with, and/or provide direct support to the GOB to 
provide assistance to the victims of trafficking. Many of these 
organizations provide financial assistance, technical support, 
prevention campaigns, support shelters, education and information 
campaigns throughout Bolivia. 
 
 
 
¶29. PREVENTION: 
 
 
 
From an international perspective, the GOB ratified a protocol 
during 2005 that provides protection, prevention and sanctions for 
violations involving trafficking in Persons, especially women and 
children.  The GOB is also a signatory of the 2000 Palermo 
agreement that defines crimes involving trafficking in persons and 
agrees to provide appropriate laws and regulations to address this 
crime within Bolivia and to work with international partners to 
address this worldwide issue. 
 
 
 
¶A. The GOB, through the collaboration of NGOs, international 
organizations, and local organizations continues to raise public 
awareness of the dangers of trafficking of persons by presenting 
many anti-trafficking seminars and education campaigns. The GOB 
continues to publicize the laws against trafficking in persons, and 
provides guidance to the public on how they can help combat this 
problem through their work with identified NGOs, international 
organizations and local governments. 
 
 
 
Public awareness on TIP issues and the dangers traffickers pose is 
increasing in Bolivia because of these various educational 
initiatives. The Ministry of Justice has also been active in 
providing guidance and information regarding the problems and 
dangers of TIP violations, along with suggestions on methods to 
prevent them. The USG, in conjunction with the GOB and several NGOs 
and international organizations, has sponsored a number of TIP 
awareness and educational initiatives that have reached tens of 
thousands of children and other public and private individuals. 
The BNP's Special TIP Investigative Units continue to target 
brothels involved in the sexual exploitation of minors. 
 
 
 
¶B. There are currently no formal GOB programs in place to monitor 
immigration and migration patterns for evidence of trafficking 
along the border areas of Peru, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and 
Paraguay. The law enforcement officials present at these border 
locations do not actively screen for potential VOTS during their 
official activities.  However, action has begun for NAS to provide 
assistance to the GOB in the development and implementation of six 
additional special TIP investigative/prosecution units along the 
frontier areas of the country. These new units will specifically 
target the TIP violations taking place in border locations. 
 
 
 
¶C. The Ministries of Government and Justice, along with the BNP and 
the Immigration Service, Customs, Office of Foreign Affairs, Labor 
and Sustainable Development, as well as the prefectures and 
municipalities, are legally responsible for handling different 
aspects of anti-trafficking efforts. The Ministry of the 
Presidency, via an inter-institutional committee, has overall 
responsibility for trafficking matters. Several working groups are 
specifically targeting TIP issues. One is the Trafficking in 
 
 
Persons Council that includes representatives of several 
ministries, along with invitees from several NGOs and civic 
organizations, all of which are involved in these issues. The 
second working group is directed by the Congress and its 
participants, including lawyers, judges, and members of the BNP 
along with several NGOs. The USG, in conjunction with 
representatives from the GOB Congress, Senate and several 
ministries, are currently meeting to create and implement a more 
aggressive national TIP strategy in Bolivia. One example is the 
draft legislation that was completed this reporting period and 
submitted to Congress for review. 
 
 
 
¶D. The GOB's Supreme Decree 28343, that was signed on September 12, 
 
2005, created the Inter-Ministerial TIP Commission. A 
ministerial-level entity was tasked with the coordination of all 
governmental actions regarding trafficking in persons. The 
ministerial-level and subgroups at the vice ministerial level met 
and provided terms of reference for a consultant to create a 
National TIP Action plan, which was issued in January 2006.  The 
GOB 
 
contracted a consultant to design a five year "National Strategy to 
fight Trafficking in Persons and the Illegal Trade of Immigrants in 
Bolivia 2006-2010." This plan was funded through a grant from the 
USG, with support of IOM and the Ministry of the Presidency and is 
scheduled to be reviewed and updated this coming year.  The GOB, 
especially the police and prosecutors offices, work very closely 
with organizations such as IOM, IOB, United Nations, the USG and 
other Embassies and NGOs, in furtherance of the development of a 
successful TIP Program in Bolivia. 
 
 
 
Prostitution is legal in Bolivia for persons 18 years or older. 
 
However, the GOB is aware of, and targeting, those organizations 
and businesses that continue to recruit and exploit minors to work 
in this area. 
 
 
 
¶F. Bolivia is not now, or has ever been identified as a child sex 
tourism location. The GOB has not taken any action to eliminate the 
commercial sex trade for those individuals following the guidelines 
under the law. However, significant problems remain, relating to 
the use and exploitation of minors in the legal prostitution 
industry in Bolivia. Estimates indicate up to 40 percent of the all 
persons working in the sex trade in Bolivia are exploited minors. 
Police and intelligence sources continue to report that many 
Bolivian minors are being trafficked across the international 
borders of surrounding countries for both sexual and labor 
exploitation purposes. 
 
 
 
¶G. All GOB troops involved in peacekeeping missions are provided 
with human rights training, which includes the issues relating to 
minors involved in both sexual and labor exploitation violations. 
 
 
 
NOMINATION OF HEROES AND BEST PRACTICES 
 
 
 
¶30. Partnerships: 
 
 
 
-- A.  The GOB is working closely with regional partners to develop 
an international strategy targeting the issues of trafficking in 
 
 
persons. Several major initiatives are underway, to include a 
International Trafficking in Persons Conference, to be hosted by 
the GOB in March 2010, which will specifically address the TIP 
problems currently taking place at the border areas of the country. 
Included in these initiatives will be an information sharing 
program to assist in both the investigation and prosecution of 
persons and organizations involved in these TIP related crimes. 
 
 
 
-- B.  N/A 
 
 
 
¶31. N/A 
 
 
 
¶32. N/A 
 
 
 
¶33. N/A 
 
 
 
 
 
¶34. (U) HEROES: 
 
 
 
¶35. (U) COMMENDABLE INITIATIVES: 
 
The GOB Human Rights Commission has taken the lead in addressing 
the TIP and Victim Assistance issues in Bolivia. The president of 
this commission authored the new draft TIP legislation submitted 
before the GOB for review and approval. If passed, this new 
legislation will provide the police, prosecutors and courts the 
capabilities to be more successful in the investigation and 
prosecution of persons and organizations involved in the 
trafficking of persons, and related human rights offenses. 
 
 
 
TIP POC at Post is Gwendolyn Llewellyn/NAS Deputy Director and/or 
 
Daniel E. Moritz, Senior Law Enforcement and Justice Advisor; 
(591-2) 2785811. 
 
 
 
The following officers contributed to the preparation of this 
report: 
 
-Gwendolyn Llewellyn/NAS Deputy Director/FS-01 
 
-Daniel E. Moritz/NAS Senior Law Enforcement & Justice 
Advisor/FS-01 
 
-Dr. Milton Andrade/NAS LES Advisor/FSN-10 
 
-Patricia Viscarra/ECOPOL LES Legal Advisor/FSN-12 
 
 
 
It took 36 hours to complete the report. 
Creamer