VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0490 1622210
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 102210Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9823
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000490 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN AND G/TIP BFLECK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB KCRM KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG KPAO CS
SUBJECT: COSTA RICA RESPONSE: TIP DOWNGRADE TO "TIER 2 
WATCHLIST" 
 
REF: STATE 58544 
 
¶1. (SBU) On June 3, we informed Vice Minister of Public 
Security Ana Duran of Costa Rica's placement on the TIP Tier 
2 Watch List, and we highlighted the specific recommendations 
for Costa Rica. Duran also heads the National 
Anti-Trafficking Coalition, comprised of government and NGO 
players. She was visibly unhappy and commented that "it's 
easy to criticize when you're not in our shoes." She said she 
would work on a Costa Rican press release with the Minister 
of Public Security (MPS) Janina del Vecchio and Attorney 
General Francisco Dall'Anese. We reiterated the U.S.'s 
commitment to working with the GOCR on trafficking issues, 
and we offered that the February interim report required for 
Tier 2 Watch List countries would give the GOCR an 
opportunity to show progress by then. Separately, we briefed 
Viviana Tinoco of the MFA's Human Rights Office about Costa 
Rica's TIP ranking. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Later on June 3, DCM followed up in a phone call to 
Del Vecchio, who has been in her position for about two 
months. She had not yet heard about the TIP Report and, 
surprisingly, stated she was not aware that TIP was part of 
Duran's portfolio. (NOTE: This is especially surprising since 
Del Vecchio greeted the May 7 meeting of the National 
Anti-Trafficking Coalition at the Ministry.) The DCM 
explained the purpose of the report and acknowledged that 
some of the recommendations relate to legislative and 
judiciary action, which are out of the MPS's purview. DCM 
also stressed the opportunity for Del Vecchio to urge the 
Legislature to pass anti-TIP legislation and the Judiciary to 
get tougher on sentencing. Del Vecchio agreed. 
 
¶3. (U) On the positive side, Duran informed us that the 
National Anti-Trafficking Coalition has finished draft 
Legislative language to codify internal trafficking as a 
crime (one of the recommendations in the 2007 TIP report. The 
language was included in an omnibus public security bill 
currently before the legislature. There is some momentum 
for the bill (including interest from Dall'Anese to see it 
approved), and Duran hopes it can be passed this year with 
the trafficking language included. 
 
¶4. (U) On June 3, popular daily "Diario Extra" reported on 
the May 27 closing of a USG-funded, two-year Rahab 
Foundation trafficking prevention and victim's assistance 
program in the problematic Central Pacific region. The 
project closed due to lack of additional funding to extend 
it. In the article, IOM Director Jose Pires highlighted 
some of the same problems with trafficking in Costa Rica 
pointed out in the 2007 TIP report. 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT:  As of June 6, there had been neither media 
reporting nor official GOCR comment about the TIP 
downgrading. This could reflect the GOCR's having second 
thoughts about drawing attention to the on-going TIP problems 
here, or simply the GOCR looking for the right time/right way 
to respond. Either way, we will remain engaged with the GOCR 
on these issues, reiterating that the 2007 TIP downgrading is 
meant more to motivate than to castigate. 
CIANCHETTE