VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #0228/01 0482057
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY AD250005 TOQ8639-695)
R 172054Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0692
INFO WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS MANAGUA 000228 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
STATE FOR G/TIP, INL, DRL, PRM, WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC 
STATE PASS USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KTIP KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB KMCA NU
SUBJECT: Nicarargua: Trafficking in Persons Report 2010 
 
REF: STATE 2094 
 
¶1. (U) Following is Embassy Managua's 2010 Trafficking in Persons 
(TIP) report.  The information is keyed to reftel paragraphs 25-30. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
¶2. (SBU)  Nicaragua's TIP Situation (reftel para 25) 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶A.  (SBU) There is no central source of information regarding 
trafficking in persons in Nicaragua.  The police, Public Ministry, 
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided figures on the cases 
they managed, but these did not coincide with each other.  Other 
government institutions do not compile any data on trafficking.  In 
the past, the National Coalition Against Trafficking in Person 
(NCATIP) has not compiled statistics nor any other form of 
documentation.  This year our request to meet with the NCATIP went 
unanswered.  International organizations and NGOs manage some 
statistics on TIP in Nicaragua, but their efforts are limited to 
their scope of work and are not comprehensive assessments of the 
problem in country. 
 
¶B.  (SBU) Despite the lack of reliable data on trafficking, the 
International Organization for Migration (IOM) noted an increase in 
migration within Nicaragua with a likelihood that trafficking is 
also increasing.  Nicaragua was principally a country of origin for 
the international trafficking of minor and adult females for 
purposes of sexual exploitation.  Most victims were trafficked to 
other Central American countries (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, 
and Costa Rica), but were also trafficked to the United States, 
Mexico, and other countries.  To a lesser extent, Nicaragua is a 
country of transit for international trafficking and has seen 
victims from Africa and East Asia.  Trafficking also occurs within 
Nicaragua, with most victims being minor and adolescent females who 
are sexually exploited.  Most victims are brought from the 
countryside to departmental capitals or from throughout the country 
to Managua. 
 
¶C.  (SBU) Victims are generally trafficked for the purposes of 
sexual exploitation, particularly for prostitution.  Traffickers 
tend to force the victims to work in brothels, nightclubs, and 
other similar establishments.  Victims are also exploited for labor 
and there have been reports of victims being used for 
narcotrafficking. 
 
¶D.  (SBU) The main group at risk for trafficking are minor and 
adult females from poor, rural areas who were previously victims of 
domestic abuse and/or sexual violence.  Most victims ranged in age 
from 13 to 25, but there were victims as young as 8 and some were 
45 years old. 
 
¶E.  (SBU) Traffickers/exploiters varied from organized crime rings 
to family and individual operations, which included male and female 
recruiters.  A common method of recruiting victims was by promising 
a "good" job opportunity with a high salary.  The victims were 
generally approached by a known and somewhat trusted individual, 
who would promise employment such as a chambermaid or store 
attendant.  At times recruiters used victims to recruit other 
victims. Traffickers transported victims openly through border 
checkpoints.  One common method was placing victims on a bus as a 
tourist to travel to a neighboring country.  They also trafficked 
victims illegally through blind spots along the unpatrolled land 
and maritime borders.  Travel agencies and similar businesses have 
been involved in fronting for traffickers. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
¶3. (SBU) The GoN's Anti-TIP Efforts (reftel para 26) 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶A.  (SBU) The government has an office responsible for combating 
trafficking in persons.  The government's efforts to investigate 
and prosecute TIP cases had minimal success.  Its assistance to 
victims was minimal with international organizations and 
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) providing the great majority 
of assistance.  These organizations also heavily supported the 
prevention work in Nicaragua. 

¶B.  (SBU) The National Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons 
(NCATIP), which falls under the Ministry of Government, is the lead 
government office responsible for coordinating anti-trafficking 
efforts.  Post's request for a meeting with the NCATIP went 
unanswered.  The principal agencies within the NCATIP are the 
Nicaraguan National Police, Public Ministry (Prosecutor's Office), 
and the Ministry of the Family, and in the past has included up to 
85 different government agencies and organizations.  We met with 
the Public Ministry, the police provided written responses to our 
questions, and the Ministry of the Family would not meet with us. 
For the previous TIP report, all these agencies met with us. 
International organizations and NGOs also participate in the 
NCATIP. 
 
¶C.  (SBU) The NCATIP's continuing lack of leadership and 
coordination has prevented a comprehensive approach to combating 
trafficking in Nicaragua.  NGOs  and some state offices continued 
to complain of NCATIP's lack of performance and questioned its 
commitment.  The NGO Save the Children paid a consultant to work 
with the NCATIP to develop a 2010-2012 strategic plan to combat 
trafficking.  Coalition officials, however, would not provide the 
details of the plan.  Lack of resources, a generalized disrespect 
for the rule of law, and increased corruption in the judiciary 
continue to be key limitations to the government's ability to 
address the problem.  This year international organizations and 
NGOs reported a decrease in police efforts and/or cooperation to 
combat trafficking.  They also noted the constant change of 
personnel in the Ministry of the Family (the principal agency 
responsible for victim assistance) as an obstacle to providing 
assistance to the victims.  Culture and class prejudices present 
another obstacle.  Sexual exploitation and abuse of women and 
children is widely accepted in Nicaragua, impeding the ability to 
detect trafficking in persons.  Victims of trafficking and sexual 
exploitation tend to feel shame and guilt, and thus are reluctant 
to file complaints with the authorities. 

¶D.  (SBU) The government does not systematically monitor its 
anti-trafficking efforts.  The NCATIP did not assess the results of 
its last plan which concluded in 2007. 
 
¶E.  (SBU) In coordination with various international organizations 
(Save the Children, UNICEF, etc.), the government has attempted to 
promote birth registration.  The ability of Nicaraguans to obtain 
national identification cards, however, has been problematic as the 
IDs also are used as voter registration cards and the institution 
responsible for the cards has become heavily politicized.  There 
also have been reports of false IDs being issued to minors for the 
purposes of commercial sexual exploitation. 
 
¶F.  (SBU) The government does not have the ability to gather the 
required data for an in-depth assessment of law enforcement 
efforts.  With the support of international organizations, the 
government might have the capability to conduct this assessment. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
¶4. (SBU)  Investigation & Prosecution (reftel para 27) 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶A.  (SBU) Nicaragua's current penal code entered into force in July 
¶2008.  This code criminalizes both domestic and international 
trafficking for purposes of slavery, sexual exploitation, or 
adoption.  The language of the TIP provision follows: 
 
- Article 182.  Trafficking in Persons for the Purpose of Slavery, 
Sexual Exploitation, or Adoption.  Whoever, using force or 
violence/threats, offers, deceives, promotes, facilitates, induces 
or attracts, recruits, contracts, transports, transfers, retains, 
takes in, or receives people, with the purpose of slavery, sexual 
exploitation, or adoption, inside or outside national territory, 
even with the consent of the victim, shall be penalized with the 
sentence of between seven to 10 years prison.  If the victim is 
younger than 18 years of age, or disabled, or the act was committed 
by a relative, guardian, spiritual guide, mentor, or an individual 
permanently sharing the family home of the victim, or has a 
relationship of trust with the victim, the penalty will be between 
10 and 12 years prison. 
 
Whoever sells, offers, delivers, transfers or accepts a girl, boy 
or adolescent for the purpose of sexual exploitation, regardless of 
whether a payment or reward was made, will be penalized with 
between eight to 12 years of prison.  The same penalty will be 
applied to anyone who offers, possesses, acquires, or accepts the 
sale of a girl, boy, or adolescent with the purpose of illegitimate 
adoption. 
 
¶A.  (SBU) Continued.  The penal code contains various other 
articles related to trafficking in persons.  These include: 
 
- Article 174. Sexual Harassment.  Any individual who uses 
pressure, a position of power or authority, promises of 
preferential treatment, threats, or any other form of sexual 
harassment to coerce another person to engage in sexual acts can be 
found guilty of sexual harassment and sentenced to one to three 
years of prison.  If the victim is younger than 18 years of age, 
the penalty ranges from three to five years of prison. 
 
- Article 175. Sexual Exploitation, Pornography, and Paid Sexual 
Acts with Minors.  Any individual found guilty of inducing, 
facilitating, promoting, or using a minor under the age of 16 or a 
disabled person for sexual or erotic purposes, or who forces such 
individual to watch or participate in such an act, will be punished 
with five to seven years of prison.  If the victim is over the age 
of 16, but younger than 18, the penalty will be four to six years 
prison. 
 
Those who promote, finance, make, reproduce, publish, sell, import, 
export, or distribute material for the purpose of sexual 
exploitation involving the image or voice of a person under the age 
of 18 engaged in a sexual or erotic activity will be considered in 
violation of the law.  The penalty for this crime will be five to 
seven years of prison and a fine to be paid for 150 to 500 days. 
 
Those who, for the purpose of sexual exploitation, own pornographic 
or erotic material in the terms expressed in the previous 
paragraph, will be punished with one to two years of prison. 
Those who carry out sexual or erotic acts with a person between the 
ages of 14 and 18, of any gender, in exchange for payment or 
promise of any economic benefit, will be punished with five to 
seven years of prison. 
 
- Article 176.  Aggravating Circumstances of Sexual Exploitation, 
Pornography, and Paid Sexual Acts with Minors.  The penalty will be 
six to eight years of prison when the crime is: committed with the 
intent of profit; the author or authors are part of a group 
organized to commit sexual crimes; involves deception, violence, 
abuse of authority, intimidation, or coercion; the author commits 
the crime using a relationship of authority, superiority, family, 
dependency, or trust with the victim, or permanently shares the 
home with the victim.  If two or more of these circumstances 
concur, the penalty will increase to seven to nine years of prison. 
 
- Article 177.  Sexual Tourism.  Those who promote the country as a 
destination for sexual tourism, individually or through tour 
operators, advertising campaigns, reproduction of images and texts 
utilizing persons younger than 18 years of age, will be punished 
with five to seven years of prison and a fine, equivalent to 33 
percent of the condemned's daily wages or the standard minimum 
wage, to be paid for a period of 150 to 500 days. 
 
- Article 178.  Procurement of Prostitution.  Those who induce, 
promote, facilitate or favor sexual exploitation, pornography, and 
the paid sexual act of a person of any gender, or are involved in 
the recruitment for said purpose, will be punished with four to six 
years of prison and a fine, equivalent to 33 percent of the 
condemned's daily wages or the standard minimum wage, to be paid 
for a period of 150 to 300 days. 
 
- Article 179.  Aggravated Procurement of Prostitution.  The 
penalty will be between six and eight years of prison and a fine, 
equivalent to 33 percent of the condemned's daily wages or the 
standard minimum wage, to be paid for a period of 300 to 600 days, 
when: (a) the victim is younger than 18 years old or is disabled; 
(b) there is intent of profit; (c) there is involvement of deceit, 
violence, abuse of authorities or through any means of intimidation 
or coercion; (d) the author commits the crime taking advantage of a 
relationship of superiority, authority, family ties, dependency or 
trust with the victim, or permanently shares a family home with the 
victim. 

- Article 180.  Inducement of Prostitution (Pimping).  Whoever by 
means of threat or coercion, receives economic commercial benefit, 
even if in part, from a person who provides sex acts through 
payment, will be penalized with between three and five years 
prison.  If the victim is younger than 18 years old or is 
physically or mentally disabled, the penalty will be between five 
and seven years of prison.  The same penalty will be applied when 
the author of the crime is either married to or in a common-law 
relationship with the victim 
 
- Article 181.  Restriction of Mediation and Other Benefits.  When 
the crime of sexual exploitation is committed against boys, girls, 
and adolescents, there will be no mediation process nor any benefit 
of suspension of the penalty. 

¶B.  (SBU) As mentioned in paragraph A, the penalty for trafficking 
people for sexual exploitation is seven to ten years imprisonment. 
If the victim is 18 years or younger or disabled or the act was 
executed by a family member of the victim the sentence is 10 to 12 
years prison.  When the act involves payment or reward for sexual 
exploitation, the penalty is eight to 12 years prison.  Fines are 
set by the courts. 
 
¶C.  (SBU) Trafficking for the purpose of labor exploitation is 
prosecuted under article 315 of the penal code.  The language of 
this provision follows: 
 
- Article 315.  Discrimination, Servitude, and Exploitation. 
Whoever discriminates at the workplace for reasons of birth, 
nationality, political affiliation, race, ethnic origin, sexual 
orientation, gender, religion, opinion, economic position, 
disability, physical condition, or any other social condition shall 
be penalized with six months to one year prison and 90 to 150 days 
fine.  Whoever submits, reduces, or maintains another person under 
slavery or similar conditions to slavery, forced or obligatory 
labor, servitude, or any other situation that impacts against human 
dignity, while in labor activity, will be punished with five to 
eight years prison. 
 
A sentence of five to eight years prison and a fine will be imposed 
to those who traffic persons with the purpose of subjecting them to 
labor exploitation, as well as for forced recruitment to 
participate in armed conflicts. 
 
The penalty for the crimes mentioned in the previous paragraphs 
will be increased by half the maximum limit for the crime 
concerned, when these are committed: (a) against children, or (b) 
by means of violence or intimidation.  If both circumstances 
concur, the penalty will be increased by three fourths the maximum 
limit of the crime concerned.  Excluding those cases authorized by 
law, whoever employs a person younger than 18 years old for the 
purpose of labor exploitation will be sanctioned with two to four 
years prison. 
 
¶D.  (SBU) Articles 167, 168, 169, and 170 of the penal code 
proscribe the penalties for various forms of rape and sexual 
assault.  The text of these provisions follows: 
 
- Article 167. Rape.  Whoever has access or is made to have access 
or enters inside the victim or forces the victim to introduce a 
finger, object, or instrument for sexual purposes, vaginally, 
anally, or orally using force, violence, intimidation, or any other 
means that prevent the victim from using his/her will, reason or 
senses, will be penalized with eight to 12 years imprisonment. 
 
- Article 168. Rape of a Minor Younger than 14.  Whoever has access 
or is made to have access with or by a person younger than 14 years 
of age or who for sexual purposes introduces or forces to introduce 
a finger, object, or instrument vaginally, anally, or orally with 
or without the victim's consent will be penalized with 12 to 15 
years imprisonment. 
 
- Article 169. Aggravated Rape.  A sanction of 12 to 15 years 
imprisonment will be imposed when: (a) the author commits the crime 
availing him/herself of a relationship of superiority, authority, 
family relationship, dependency, or trust  with the victim, or one 
in which the family home of the victim is shared permanently; (b) 
the rape is committed with the assistance of two or more people; 
(c) when the victim by reason of sickness or physical or 
psychological disability is especially vulnerable to resist, or is 
pregnant or is older than 65 years of age; or (d) it results in 
grave harm to the health of the victim.  If two or more of the 
circumstances mentioned in this article should concur, the maximum 
penalty will be imposed. 
 
- Article 170.  Rape of a Minor.  Whoever while married or in a 
stable relationship or an adult, without violence or intimidation, 
enters or forces someone to enter the body by a person older than 
14 years of age and younger than 16 will be sanctioned with a 
penalty of two to four years in prison. 
 
¶E.  (SBU) Law Enforcement Statistics:  The Nicaraguan National 
Police reported a total of nine cases of trafficking in persons, 
which included 14 offenders and 10 victims for the reporting 
period.  The Public Ministry also reported a total of nine cases, 
but the cases did not coincide between the two agencies.  The 
Public Ministry reported five cases dismissed for lack of evidence 
or other reasons, one case under further investigation, and three 
cases in which charges were formally filed.  There were two 
convictions of trafficking for sexual exploitation - an Italian man 
and Nicaraguan woman were sentenced to 12 years in prison.  The man 
is currently on house arrest pending his appeal. 
 
¶F.  (SBU) International organizations and NGOs supported the 
training of the police and Public Ministry.  Save the Children, the 
International Organization for Migration (IOM), and Casa Alianza 
(Covenant House) provided funding and logistical assistance to the 
Public Ministry, police and immigration for the training of its 
officials in Managua and the various departments.  Save the 
Children continues to work with the police on its mapping projects 
on the routes used for trafficking. 
 
¶G.  (SBU) The Public Ministry does cooperate with other countries' 
institutions in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking 
cases.  In 2009, the prosecutor's office coordinated two cases with 
other Central American countries.  The police did not provide 
information regarding cases requiring cooperation with other 
countries' authorities. 
 
¶H.  (SBU) Nicaraguan law does not permit the extradition of 
Nicaraguan nationals.  During the reporting period there were no 
cases of the government extraditing foreigners for trafficking. 
 
¶I.  (SBU) There is no evidence of government officials' involvement 
in trafficking.  However, international and local organizations 
that provided victims assistance complained that local law 
enforcement authorities (i.e., police, immigration, etc.) were 
involved in or tolerated trafficking and other crimes (e.g., 
migrant smuggling).  Media reported the court case of a man accused 
of sexual exploitation of minors in Rivas and reported a Managua 
judge listed in the case as one of the abusers.  Authorities could 
not confirm if the judge was being investigated. 
 
¶J.  (SBU) The state has not prosecuted any government officials for 
trafficking in persons, nor has the police investigated any 
government officials for TIP. 
 
¶L.  (SBU) There is little information available regarding child sex 
tourism in Nicaragua, but government officials and NGOs believe it 
is on the rise.  One government official stated that Managua saw 
the most cases of this type of sexual exploitation.  Child sex 
tourists come from the United States, Europe, and Canada to San 
Juan del Sur, Tola, Granada, Corinto, and  Leon.  Additionally, 
businessmen from other countries are known to seek minors for 
sexual exploitation during their business travel to cities such as 
Managua and Esteli.  The government does not track pedophile cases 
by nationality, but post is aware of two cases being prosecuted 
involving United States citizens.  Article 16 of the criminal code 
allows the government to prosecute Nicaraguans for child sex 
tourism crimes abroad, but there were no cases during the reporting 
period. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------------- 
¶5.  Protection & Assistance to Victims (reftel para 28) 
--------------------------------------------- ------------------- 
 
¶A.  (SBU) The government uses the Code for the Protection of 
Children and Adolescents to protect and assist children and 
adolescent victims of trafficking.  In practice, NGOs provided most 
of the assistance (e.g., shelter) to victims.  There is no existing 
law that provides for the government's assistance to adults and 
witnesses. 
 
¶B.  (SBU) The Ministry of the Family is responsible for providing 
victim care facilities to children (people 17 years old and 
younger).  In practice, the departments most affected by 
trafficking did not have adequate care facilities.  There were no 
shelters in Chinandega.  Rio San Juan,  Esteli, and Rivas each had 
one shelter funded and operated by an NGO.  Rivas also had one 
government-run care facility that took in all people in need of 
temporary shelter, not just trafficking victims.  There were no 
government-run shelters available for women or men, nor were there 
any government-run shelters specifically for trafficking victims 
regardless of age or gender. As noted in the interim TIP 
assessment, media reported that the government underfunded the 
children's public shelters.  The government does not provide 
funding to private care facilities.  There was no overall 
coordinated program to provide integral attention and integration 
of victims.  The Police Commissariat for Women provided some 
psychological assistance to female trafficking victims.  There are 
few foreign victims in Nicaragua, but these victims receive the 
same attention as nationals. 
 
¶C.  (SBU) The Public Ministry provides legal services to 
trafficking victims.  People who stay at government shelters 
receive medical and psychological services from government sources. 
The Ministry of the Family, which is responsible for these 
shelters, would not meet with us.  Victims who stayed at private 
shelters usually received psychological and medical assistance from 
the private organization.  In general, the government does not 
provide funding or support to NGOs that provide victims' 
assistance.  However, there are limited examples of the GON 
providing some support to NGOs such as office space to 
psychologists in the Department of Chinandega. 
 
¶D.  (SBU) Foreign trafficking victims comprise a small percentage 
of the victims in Nicaragua.  However, in these cases government 
authorities do allow the victims to stay in Nicaragua until they 
can be repatriated to their country of origin.  International 
organizations noted the cooperation with immigration officials and 
the victims' embassies to repatriate the victims.  As with all 
trafficking cases, in most cases international organizations and 
NGOs provide the assistance.  Most foreign trafficking victims in 
Nicaragua come from other Central American countries. 
 
¶E.  (SBU) In the previous reporting period, the Ministry of the 
Family told us it could provide longer-term shelter through foster 
homes and other programs to child and adolescent victims, but there 
were no programs for adult victims.  Local NGOs told us that these 
foster homes did not adequately assist the victims.  The Ministry 
would not meet with us this year to provide more information. 
 
¶F.  (SBU) The police refer victims to the Ministry of the Family or 
NGOs for victim assistance.  The police will also transfer the 
victims to these locations. 
 
¶G.  (SBU) There were no reliable statistics to identify the number 
of trafficking victims during the reporting period.  The Ministry 
of the Family has not traditionally managed these statistics.  The 
police and Public Ministry reported nine trafficking cases 
involving 10 victims for the reporting period, but the two agencies 
did not coincide in their data.  In the past, an independent think 
tank on security matters, the Institute for Strategic Studies and 
Public Policy (IEEPP), estimated police figures captured no more 
than 10% of actual cases.  No other government institution collects 
or provides data on trafficking victims. 
 
¶H.  (SBU)  The government does not have a formal system of 
proactively identifying victims of trafficking among high-risk 
persons with whom they come in contact.  Most victims assisted in 
Nicaragua are Nicaraguans who returned from abroad. 
 
¶I.  (SBU) The government in general respected the rights of 
victims.  Authorities might temporarily detain victims for 
questioning, but they are not arrested. 
 
¶J.  (SBU) The government encourages victims to assist in the 
prosecution of traffickers, but given the stigmatization of 
trafficking and sexual exploitation, victims are reluctant to 
participate in the prosecution.  Trafficking victims can sue their 
offenders and can receive restitution. 
 
¶K.  (SBU) Several organizations (Casa Alianza, IOM, Save the 
Children, etc.) provided training to a variety of state 
institutions, including the police, the Public Ministry, and the 
Ministry of the Family.  However, international organizations and 
NGOs reported difficulties in working with the Ministry of the 
Family due to the constant changes in personnel.  During the 
reporting period, the Ministry saw three different ministers, each 
bringing their own staff to work on issues of child sexual 
exploitation and trafficking in persons.  These changes occurred in 
Managua and the field offices.  International organizations and 
NGOs reported that these constant changes led to difficulties in 
training the Ministry's personnel,  defining the Ministry's roles 
and responsibilities on the issue of trafficking, and the ability 
to work on a time horizon past three months.  The Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, with the assistance of international 
organizations, continued training Nicaragua's diplomatic and 
consular personnel on handling trafficking cases.  During the 
reporting period, the Ministry assisted in the repatriation of 
eight victims from El Salvador and Guatemala, and another 22 
possible victims of trafficking from Guatemala.  The Nicaraguan 
missions abroad assisted the victims with food, medical care, 
psychological counseling, shelter, travel documents, and other 
assistance. 
 
¶L.  (SBU) As part of the country's free healthcare system, 
trafficking victims can receive medical treatment on the same basis 
as any other patient in the general population.  Shelter and other 
assistance are usually provided by NGOs. 
 
¶M.  (SBU) MAIS, Casa Alianza, and IOM are the principal 
international organizations that work with trafficking victims. 
Their work includes: shelter, psychological counseling, legal 
assistance, referrals, accompaniment through government procedures, 
etc.  The government does not provide funding for these 
organizations.  Cooperation between the organizations and the 
government tends to be better at the operational level than at the 
policy level.  Additionally, cooperation is better at the local 
level than at the national level.  Save the Children works in the 
areas of prevention and investigation/prosecution of trafficking in 
persons. 
 
------------------------------------- 
¶6. (SBU) Prevention (reftel para 29) 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶A.  (SBU) The government did not conduct an information campaign 
during the reporting period.  Organizations such as Save the 
Children, IOM, Casa Alianza, and others conducted information 
campaigns in which the government participated.  Save the Children 
worked with the Ministry of Education to provide information on 
trafficking to students and teachers.  The Ministry of the Familly 
reactivated its 133 hotline, but only for information and reporting 
on the general welfare of adolescents and minors, and not just for 
trafficking in persons. 

¶B.  (SBU) The government, with the assistance of Save the Children, 
has developed several mapping projects along the southern and 
northern borders of Nicaragua, which have been used especially by 
the police.  However, there was no indication that immigration 
officials screened for potential trafficking victims at the 
borders.  Local organizations in the northern and southern border 
of Nicaragua suspected some trafficking occurred with the knowledge 
or involvement of government officials, including immigration 
authorities. 
 
¶C.  (SBU) The National Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons 
(NCATIP) is the government office responsible for coordinating the 
efforts of government institutions, international organizations, 
and NGOs in combating tr