Ambassador Speeches

Talking Points for Ambassador Trivelli Ministerio de Gobernacion “Promoting Gender Equality and Countering Violence Against Women”

May 21, 2007

I am pleased to be in the company of this distinguished and diverse group of men and women who share the concern for strengthening the government’s role in preventing violence against women and for ending trafficking in persons.  The concerns you raised are shared by your counterparts in the United States, and through a variety of programs the Government of the United States is working to combat trafficking and violence against women.

For example, just this past April the U.S. Embassy in Managua sponsored training for Nicaraguan Government officials to participate in an anti-trafficking course for law enforcement officials in San Salvador.  Officials from Ministry of Government, the National Police, the Ministry of Family, Immigration, and the Public Ministry met with their counterparts from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Panama.  This is in keeping with our conviction that any long term, sustainable solution to trafficking requires a regional commitment.

This past March the U.S. Embassy signed an agreement to fund programs such as Casa Alianza, granting over $138,000 to support Social Reintegration Programs for Victims of Trafficking.  These funds help Casa Alianza to:

- encouraged more people to report trafficking crimes;
- provided much needed shelter, counseling and rehabilitation to those who have suffered the ordeal of being exploited and abused
- offered vocational training and various forms of therapy,
- helped those who have been traumatized by sexual and labor exploitation to regain trust, self-esteem, courage and life skills to reintegrate into society and to testify against their traffickers.

The U.S. Government also provides funds for the International Organization of Migration, money which goes towards worldwide victims assistance; the U.S.G. contributes to the Ricky Martin “Llama Y Vive” Hotline and public awareness campaign.  Through these and other programs the U.S. government has strongly aligned itself with the forces combating trafficking and other crimes against women.  Thank you, Ministra Morales y Ministra Vizcaya, for supporting these efforts.  And thank you, Ms. Lomellin, for sharing your expertise in this field to our neighbors in Nicaragua.