GUATEMALAN NATIONAL EXTRADITED TO U.S. FOR ALLEGED HUMAN SMUGGLING

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 24, 2015
Guatemalan Woman Extradited to the United States to Face Human Smuggling Charges

A Guatemalan national appeared in federal court in the Southern District of Texas, after being extradited to the United States from Guatemala to face criminal charges for her role in smuggling undocumented migrants to the United States for profit, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas and Director Sarah R. Saldaña of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Rosa Umanzor-Lopez, 35, of Guatemala, was arrested in Guatemala on Feb. 5, 2014, on a provisional arrest warrant based on a superseding indictment filed in the Southern District of Texas in December 2012.  The indictment charges her with one count of conspiracy to smuggle undocumented immigrants into the United States, three counts of bringing aliens to the United States for financial gain and three corresponding counts of encouraging and inducing an alien to come to the United States.  Three individuals also charged in the indictment have previously been convicted and sentenced.

The indictment alleges that Umanzor-Lopez and her co-defendants established a network to recruit individuals from India and elsewhere who wished to be smuggled into the United States.  The defendants then allegedly arranged for aliens to be transported to the United States through South America and Central America by various means including by air travel, automobiles, water craft and foot.

The charges contained in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The investigation was conducted by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in McAllen and Houston, with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Alien Smuggling Interdiction Unit.  This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Christina Giffin of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Leo III and Casey MacDonald of the Southern District of Texas.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs assisted with the extradition.

The investigation was conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI.  The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns.  ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources.  ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

U.S. OFFICIAL'S REMARKS AT CONNECTING THE AMERICAS 2022 INVESTMENT SUMMIT

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks at the Opening of the Connect 2022 Investment Summit
December 3, 2014

By Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs Scott Nathan

As Prepared

Good morning. Buenos dias.

It is a privilege to be here today with so many distinguished representatives from Mesoamerican nations, regional and development organizations, and leaders from the private sector.

I want to thank President Otto Perez Molina, Minister of Energy and Mines Erick Archila, and the Republic of Guatemala for hosting the first Connecting the Americas 2022 Investment Summit. I also thank the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank for their support and for bringing their expertise to help inform our discussions today.

The Western Hemisphere is on a clear trajectory of greater opportunity, greater democracy, and greater prosperity. We see the consolidation of democratic values and freer and more inclusive societies. We see some of the world’s biggest and fastest growing economies. We see a growing middle class that today is nearly 300 million strong. And we know the Americas is vital to global energy markets. The Hemisphere is endowed with a significant portion of the world’s oil, gas, and coal, and a rich and diverse array of renewable energy sources, from geothermal in El Salvador and Guatemala, to wind in Mexico and Nicaragua, to hydropower in Colombia and Panama, and biomass in Honduras and Costa Rica. The Americas is a model of energy cooperation and of high renewables penetration.

Today we look to the future of our Hemisphere not with trepidation about looming conflicts and crises, but with confidence that together -- as equal partners -- we can achieve sustainable economic growth and development.

Last year the United States launched one of the most active periods of American engagement with our Hemispheric partners in a very long time, with trips to the region by President Obama, Vice-President Biden, and Secretary Kerry, as well as visits to the White House this year by the Presidents of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Next week our Vice President and the IDB will convene high-level officials from regional governments, the private sector, the international community, and non-governmental organizations to discuss how to address the complex issues that impact Central America’s security and prosperity.

This engagement demonstrates a conscious effort by the Obama Administration to define a shared vision for the future of our Hemisphere and outline a practical and concrete agenda for action. Today we gather here in Guatemala City to advance an important piece of that agenda – our need to transition to a more reliable, affordable, interconnected, commercially viable, and sustainable electricity network.

The Challenges

We will not reach our full potential as a region – not in economic competitiveness, not in job creation, not in education, and not in healthcare – if tens of millions of people in our hemisphere are off the grid and hundreds of millions more are limited to unreliable and expensive electricity.

The scope of the challenge is clear.

First, thanks to booming economies and a growing middle class, energy demand in our region is skyrocketing. Studies suggest that Central American countries will need to double its energy supply in the next 10 years to keep up with demand – an endeavor that will require $25 billion in power sector investment by 2030. We know public finance alone cannot close the energy investment gap, particularly as it needs resources to improve citizen security.

Second, increased demand is driving up the cost of energy. Central America pays very high prices for electricity – ranging from two to five times what we pay in the United States. Expensive electricity hurts competitiveness, undermines investment, slows job growth, and ultimately undercuts the welfare and security of households.

Third, climate change is putting us all at risk. In those countries where clean hydroelectric power has met most needs, climate change is affecting patterns and levels of water availability. Droughts and flood are driving those nations to diversify energy sources, including renewable sources of power. In other countries, continued reliance on conventional, imported heavy oil and diesel, is releasing toxins into communities and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Climate change also puts the region’s biodiversity at risk – and Central America is the source of 40 percent of global biodiversity.

No country can confront the energy and climate challenge on its own. It is not viable from a technical perspective, it is not viable from a business perspective, and it is not viable from a political perspective.

The Response

This is why the United States supported Colombia’s launch of the Connecting the Americas 2022 initiative at the Sixth Summit of the Americas. The goal of this initiative is clear: universal access to reliable, clean, and affordable electricity in one decade, so that families and businesses have the energy they need at a price they can afford.

To achieve this goal, we all pledged to work together to create a modern, commercially viable electricity network in the Western Hemisphere that attracts private investment and transforms power markets to incorporate cleaner, renewable, and more efficient sources of energy. Underlying this commitment is a profound vision of how we bring prosperity to this hemisphere. The leaders of the Western Hemisphere did not endorse Connect 2022 out of a commitment to energy, but rather because they recognize that energy means jobs, education, and health care for their citizens.

This same vision has to inform our continuing political determination to achieve Connect 2022 goals. There will be times when prospects for low-cost and clean energy come up against legacy investments that are dirty and expensive. The right choices for society may be clear. But that is not always how powerful interests function. And that is why the leadership of policymakers, informed by sound technical analysis, is so very important as we make choices for posterity.

This Mesoamerican region has made important progress over the past two years. My government sees this region as the leader on Connect 2022, and we encourage you to celebrate your success when leaders meet at the 2015 Summit of the Americas in Panama.

Permanent regional market rules have been in place since June 2013. These rules are essential for creating a business and legal climate that encourages investors to take capital and development risks. You need look no further than regional electricity trade statistics to see how setting clear rules can unleash powerful growth. The volume of electricity trade over the past twelve months, at 1,316 gigawatt-hours, is more than triple what it was in the twelve months ending in June 2013.

Just over a month ago, the Electrical Interconnection System of Central America, or SIEPAC completed its regional transmission line, connecting 37 million consumers in, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Power grids are now connected from Canada to Panama.

And each government has shown a commitment to diversification with cleaner sources of electricity. From Mexico’s historic energy reform, to Nicaragua’s impressive and diverse renewables portfolio, Guatemala’s utility scale solar project and potential gas resources, to wind energy in Honduras and Costa Rica, which the U.S. Export-Import Bank helped finance, Mesoamerican energy transformation and integration is well underway.

We must build on this momentum by addressing several important challenges.

The first is, by far, the most straightforward: ensure that the physical infrastructure of the SIEPAC line is strong and resilient, that the company operating the line has the resources it needs to maintain and expand the line, and that the Regional Electricity Market develops robust interconnections with Mexico to the north and Colombia to the south. Ensure that there is non-discriminatory access to national transmission systems in order to take full advantage of power systems. As in any business, you must have a product to sell. The new Central American line is there but it is not sufficient to support the volume of trade required to meet the region’s full power needs. The market is growing. Let’s work together to achieve its potential.

The second challenge is contractual. If you are going to make a 20-year investment in power generation, then you need to know that you have access to the power line for 20 years to amortize your investment. If you need bank financing, banks need to understand the contracts. The more that contracts are built around a common model, the more competition you’ll get from financial institutions and the lower the cost. Long term financing that reduces the cost of capital will enable leaders to meet their growing electricity demand without necessarily increasing electricity prices. Interest rates reflect risk, but development banks have instruments to mitigate risk. And of course in any business that cuts across national lines, you need mechanisms to resolve disputes. These are issues we know how to solve. And that is why we are gathered here today.

The third challenge is financial. We need to leverage private capital to support the Connect 2022 initiative. Governments have their role in creating business opportunities. But the $25 billion we need in the region is not going to come from the collective Treasuries of the countries in this region. And it does not need to if we create conditions that allow businesses to make a return on capital.

This is an area where the United States can help. The Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation are able to provide excellent terms for projects that include an element of U.S. industry. Our development, energy, commerce, and trade agencies all stand ready to assist and support your efforts however and wherever we can.

Demand is real. Just last year EXIM finalized direct loans of $220 million for wind power projects in Central America. OPIC has committed $1.2 billion in support for renewable energy projects worldwide, 53 percent of which were in Latin America. Central America’s share, while small today has enormous potential. If we open the doors with the right enabling policy environment and financial conditions, private capital is ready to come in.

The IDB, World Bank and IFC, and other finance partners are equally committed to help finance these investments.

Conclusion

Now is the time for definitive action – to clear the outstanding technical, contractual, and financial hurdles…to finalize the legal, regulatory, operational, and market conditions required for greater investment… and to diversify our energy supplies.

We have the knowledge and the means to do all of these things. All we need is political will, leadership, and courage. Political will to focus our governments on this effort in the midst of competing and often urgent priorities. Leadership to change the way our governments and industries do business. And courage to innovate, take risks, and transcend our differences for the common good.

Let’s challenge ourselves to have a productive and successful day of discussions.

Thank you very much.

STATE DEPARTMENT FACT SHEET: BUREAU OF POPULATION, REFUGEES, AND MIGRATION

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
November 14, 2014

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE and U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

The United States is establishing an in-country refugee/parole program in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to provide a safe, legal, and orderly alternative to the dangerous journey that some children are currently undertaking to the United States. This program will allow certain parents who are lawfully present in the United States to request access to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for their children still in one of these three countries. Children who are found ineligible for refugee admission but still at risk of harm may be considered for parole on a case-by-case basis. The refugee/parole program will not be a pathway for undocumented parents to bring their children to the United States, but instead, the program will provide certain vulnerable, at-risk children an opportunity to be reunited with parents lawfully resident in the United States.

Applications for this program are initiated in the United States. Beginning in December 2014, a parent lawfully present in the United States will be able to file Department of State form DS-7699 requesting a refugee resettlement interview for unmarried children under 21 in El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras. Under certain circumstances, if the second parent resides with the child in the home country and is currently married to the lawfully present parent in the United States, the second parent may be added to the child’s petition and considered for refugee status, and if denied refugee status, for parole. Form DS-7699 must be filed with the assistance of a designated resettlement agency that works with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to help resettle refugees in the United States. The form will not be available on the Department of State website to the general public and cannot be completed without the assistance of a Department of State-funded resettlement agency. These resettlement agencies are located in more than 180 communities throughout the United States. When the program is launched, the Department of State will provide information on how to contact one of these agencies to initiate an application.

Once a form DS-7699 has been filed, the child in his/her home country will be assisted through the program by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which manages the U.S. Resettlement Support Center (RSC) in Latin America. IOM personnel from the RSC will contact each child directly and in the order in which the forms filed by lawfully present parents have been received by the U.S. Department of State. IOM will invite the children to attend pre-screening interviews in their country of origin in order to prepare them for a refugee interview with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DNA relationship testing will be required to confirm the biological relationship between the parent in the United States and the in-country child. After the IOM pre-screening interview but before the DHS interview, the lawfully present parent in the United States will be notified by IOM via the resettlement agency about how to submit DNA evidence of the relationship with their claimed child(ren) in El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras. If DNA relationship testing confirms the claimed relationship(s), IOM will schedule the DHS refugee interview.

DHS will conduct interviews with each child to determine whether he or she is eligible for refugee status and admissible to the United States. All applicants must complete all required security checks and obtain a medical clearance before they are approved to travel as a refugee to the United States. IOM will arrange travel for the refugee(s) to the United States. The parent of the child will sign a promissory note agreeing to repay the cost of travel to the United States. Approved refugees will be eligible for the same support provided to all refugees resettled in the United States, including assignment to a resettlement agency that will assist with reception and placement, and assistance registering children in school.

Applicants found by DHS to be ineligible for refugee status in the United States will be considered on a case-by-case basis for parole, which is a mechanism to allow someone who is otherwise inadmissible to come to the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. In order for the applicant(s) to be considered for parole, the parent in the United States will need to submit a Form I-134, Affidavit of Support, with supporting documentation to DHS. An individual considered for parole may be eligible for parole if DHS finds that the individual is at risk of harm, he/she clears all background vetting, there is no serious derogatory information, and someone has committed to financially support the individual while he/she is in the United States. Those children and any eligible parent considered for parole will be responsible for obtaining and paying for a medical clearance. An individual authorized parole will not be eligible for a travel loan but must book and pay for the flight to the United States. Parole is temporary and does not confer any permanent legal immigration status or path to permanent legal immigration status in the United States. Parolees are not eligible for medical and other benefits upon arrival in the United States, but are eligible to attend school and/or apply for employment authorization. Individuals authorized parole under this program generally will be authorized parole for an initial period of two years and may request renewal.

It is anticipated that a relatively small number of children from Central America will be admitted to the United States as refugees in FY 2015, given the anticipated December launch and the length of time it takes to be processed for U.S. refugee admission. Any child or parent admitted as a refugee will be included in the Latin America/Caribbean regional allocation of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which is 4,000 for FY 2015. If needed, there is some flexibility within the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to accommodate a higher than anticipated number from Latin America in FY 2015.

GUATEMALAN LIVING IN U.S. SENTENCED FOR ROLE IN 1982 MASSACRE

FROM:  JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Monday, February 10, 2014
Former Guatemalan Special Forces Officer Sentenced for Covering up Involvement in 1982 Massacre

A former Guatemalan Special Forces officer was sentenced today to serve 10 years in prison for covering up his involvement in a 1982 massacre at Dos Erres, Guatemala.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. of the Central District of California and Acting Director John Sandweg of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made the announcement.

Jorge Sosa, 55, of Moreno Valley, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Virginia A. Phillips in the Central District of California.   At sentencing, the court also revoked Sosa’s U.S. citizenship.

“Jorge Sosa helped orchestrate the ruthless massacre of innocent villagers, including dozens of young children, and then lied about his past to obtain refuge in the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman.  “And, today, he has been sentenced to serve 10 years in a U.S. prison.  This prosecution demonstrates our resolve to deny safe haven to human rights violators and to ensure that these criminals are held accountable.”

“Southern California is fortunate to be home to immigrants from all over the globe, some of whom have fled persecution in their native lands,” said U.S. Attorney Birotte.  “But Mr. Sosa fled his native country after being a persecutor who played a direct role in the massacre of an entire village in Guatemala.  Because he is responsible for war crimes and for failing to disclose his role in a human rights offense, Mr. Sosa will be incarcerated for a lengthy period of time and will no longer be welcome in our country.”

“ICE is dedicated to identifying and investigating alleged human rights violators hiding in the United States,” said Acting ICE Director Sandweg.  “Today’s sentencing reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that the United States not be used as a safe haven by those who have committed atrocities against mankind.”

Sosa was convicted by a federal jury in Riverside, Calif., on Oct. 1, 2013, of one count of making false statements in immigration proceedings and one count of unlawful procurement of naturalized U.S. citizenship.   Evidence presented during trial showed that Sosa became an officer in the Guatemalan Army in 1976, was part of Guatemala’s elite Special Forces division called the Kaibiles and was an instructor at the Kaibil School.   During this time, the Guatemalan Army was engaged in armed conflict with anti-government forces referred to as the “guerillas.”   In early 1982, Sosa and other Kaibil instructors were chosen to be part of the Special Patrol, a small unit formed to combat guerilla forces.   In early December 1982, the Special Patrol, including Sosa, was deployed along with approximately 40 other Kaibil soldiers to the village of Dos Erres to recover military rifles that had purportedly been stolen during a guerilla ambush of Guatemalan soldiers.   When the Special Patrol entered Dos Erres, the rifles were not found and there was no evidence of guerilla soldiers in the area.

According to evidence at trial, while at Dos Erres, members of the Special Patrol then removed the villagers from their homes, separated the men from the women and children, and raped some of the young girls.   To cover up the rapes, all of the villagers were brought to the center of the village, where the Special Patrol members systematically killed the men, women and children by, among other methods, bludgeoning them on the head with a sledgehammer, shooting them or throwing them into the village well while still alive. Testimony from two Kaibiles who participated in the massacre revealed that Sosa supervised the Special Patrol soldiers as they filled the well with Dos Erres villagers.   The evidence also showed that at some point during the massacre, a villager screamed out at Sosa from the well, and Sosa responded by cursing and shooting his assault weapon and throwing a grenade into the well.

Approximately 12 years after the massacre at Dos Erres, the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (Equipo Argentino de Antropologia Forense, or EAAF) exhumed the 40-foot well.   At trial, a member of EAAF testified that the team found 162 skeletons in the well.   Of those skeletons, 67 appeared to be those of children under the age of 12.

The evidence further showed that after Sosa became aware he was being investigated for unlawfully procuring citizenship, he fled the United States to Mexico and eventually traveled to Canada.   Sosa was arrested in Canada and extradited to the United States to face these charges.

The jury found that when Sosa applied for lawful permanent residence in 1997 and naturalized U.S. citizenship in 2007, he knowingly omitted the fact that he was a member of the Guatemalan military and that he had committed a crime for which he had not been arrested.   During trial, a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service examiner testified that had Sosa been truthful about his past, his applications for permanent residence and citizenship would have been summarily denied.

Members of the public who have information about foreign nationals suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes are urged to call the toll-free ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or to complete its online tip form . Both are staffed around the clock. To learn more about the assistance available to victims in these cases, the public should contact HIS’s confidential victim-witness toll-free number at 1-866-872-4973. Tips may be provided anonymously.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Brian Skaret of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeannie Joseph and Dennise Willett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.   Valuable assistance was provided by Trial Attorney Jay Bauer, Historian Joanna Crandall, and Paralegal Joanna Naples-Mitchell of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.   The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and Trial Attorney Lisa Roberts also provided assistance.

The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Human Rights Violator and War Crimes Unit and Homeland Security Investigations in Riverside, Calif.

INCAE AND WOODROW WILSON PRIVATE SECTOR INITIATIVE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
INCAE and Woodrow Wilson Private Sector Initiative to Address Crime and Insecurity in Central America
Remarks Maria Otero
Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights World Bank
Washington, DC
April 19, 2012
(As Delivered)
Thank you, Cynthia. It is an honor to attend the third meeting of the INCAE and Woodrow Wilson Center project here in Washington, DC. I also want to thank the World Bank and the Central American Private Sector Initiative for co-hosting today’s event. I especially want to thank INCAE and the Woodrow Wilson Center for bringing together the private sector to help create practical solutions to the security challenges in Central America – because we know that governments cannot do this work alone. Your contribution is critical to help build safe, prosperous, and democratic societies in Central America.

Today, I want to talk about three key areas of the U.S. strategy to combat crime and insecurity in Central America: First, what the U.S. is doing to reduce the demand for illicit drugs in our own country, which we know is a major factor in this transnational issue. Second, how the U.S. is utilizing new international partnerships to address transnational organized crime and citizen security. And lastly, the need for a comprehensive, community-based approach to address citizen security in each country in Central America.
At the Summit of the Americas, President Obama and Secretary Clinton engaged with the leaders of the region in a robust and healthy dialogue on a range of issues, including the U.S. strategy on drugs. The U.S. has acknowledged that the high demand for drugs in our own country is a major contributing factor to drug trafficking and its effects in the region. In response to this concern, President Obama charted a new direction for our efforts to reduce illicit drug use and its consequences by launching a National Drug Control Strategy in 2010. This week, he announced a revised strategy that provides a review of our progress, and looks ahead to continued reform.

This new strategy rejects the false choice between an enforcement-centric “war on drugs” on the one hand and the notion of drug legalization on the other, an issue that was also addressed in Cartagena.

While the United States remains open to engaging in discussion on this issue, we do not believe that legalization is the path towards a holistic solution to combat drug trafficking and organized crime and improve citizen security across the region.

The United States believes there must be a balanced approach to reducing illicit drug use, and our efforts are yielding results. The rate of overall drug use in America has dropped by roughly one-third over the past three decades. Since 2006, meth use in America has been cut by half and cocaine use has dropped by nearly 40 percent. In 2011, the United States spent over 10 billion dollars on drug prevention and treatment; 9.4 billion dollars on domestic law enforcement; 3.6 billion on interdiction, and 2.1 billion on international drug control programs. The President’s revised National Drug Control Strategy seeks to redouble our efforts, and employs a balance of evidenced-based public health and safety reforms.
Another pillar of this strategy is strengthening international partnerships – and at the leadership of Secretary Clinton, we have created new partnerships to address the security challenges in Central America.

The United States has developed new modes of cooperation starting by addressing security issues that are identified by Central Americans themselves. Secretary Clinton firmly believes that the solutions to the problems in Central America must come from Central Americans – that is why the U.S. supports the Central American Integration System, commonly known as SICA. I cannot stress the importance – however difficult and slow it may be – to have the government leaders of Central America agree upon the primary security challenges and then identify as a group the specific areas of cooperation needed to create the solution. Today’s event further contributes to the Central American-led effort to identify practical solutions to the security challenges facing the region.

The U.S. programmatic efforts are funneled through our Central America Regional Security Initiative – known as CARSI – which is an integrated, collaborative program designed to disrupt and dismantle the gangs and transnational criminal organizations. From 2008 to 2011, the United States has allocated over 361 million dollars to CARSI efforts.

At the Summit of the Americas, President Obama announced that the U.S. will allocate 130 million dollars for CARSI in fiscal year 2012.

Our support is focused not just on helping security forces track down criminals. We are working to address the root causes of violence, from impunity to lack of opportunity. We are working to build accountable institutions free from corruption that respect human rights and enhance the rule of law. We are building partnerships to improve courts and prisons, train police and prosecutors, and enhance education systems and job-training centers. We are working towards building partnerships with political leaders, but also with civil society, businesses and with the elite, who have a special obligation to help confront these challenges.

The U.S. welcomes the progress on tax reform in some countries, such as President Perez Molina’s tax reform in Guatemala and the recently passed security taxes in Costa Rica and Honduras. The fact that so many of the wealthy in Latin America have not paid their fair share of taxes is one of the many reasons why the services that are necessary to protect citizen security and enhance educational opportunities have not been available. Fora such as the one today are critical to ensure the voices of the private sector are part of the solution.

In addition to new partnerships with Central Americans, we are building partnerships across the Americas. One example is our cooperation with Colombia in Central America. Presidents Obama and Santos announced a new Action Plan on Regional Security Cooperation earlier this week in Cartagena. These coordination efforts will initially focus on Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Panama with the goal of expanding to the rest of the Americas and West Africa. Both countries will develop complementary security assistance programs and operational efforts to support partner nations afflicted by effects of transnational organized crime.

Lastly, I want to talk about the progress we are seeing on the ground. I have seen the most progress during my visits to Central American countries when there is a multi-faceted, community-based approach that empowers all actors in society – including municipal and state government officials, members of the private sector and civil society, and individual citizens, with a focus on young people who are not only the most at-risk, but who have the most potential to change their communities for the better.

We are seeing progress clearly demonstrated in the Model Precinct Program which has significantly aided in reducing homicides, robberies, and burglaries throughout the region. The program uses community-based policing techniques and youth drug prevention programs like the Gang Resistance Education and Training – or GREAT - and the Police Athletic League to build local support. Police officers assigned to the unit receive several years of classroom and on-the-job training, greatly increasing their investigative and patrolling capabilities.

I recently visited the Model Precinct in Lourdes, El Salvador, where new police leadership was installed in the spring of 2010. The new commander of the Lourdes precinct fully embraced and implemented best practices for policing. By adopting an intelligence-led policing philosophy for crime prevention and targeted enforcement, the Lourdes precinct reduced the number of homicides from 287 in 2010 to 170 in 2011 -- a 40 percent reduction. All other major crimes were also reduced by more than 40 percent. By comparison, the national homicide rate in El Salvador rose by 9 percent in 2011.

Now these programs occur on a municipal-level; the challenge is how to scale up these efforts and replicate them across each nation and the region. In Guatemala, the new tax reform funds will go to support community-based policing programs building upon the Model Precinct in other parts of the country. For example, I visited the Mixco Model Precinct earlier this year. The local mayor, police chief, priest and community leaders worked together to create a new level of trust and collaboration that resulted in a significant decrease in the levels of crime and violence.

And it was clear that these efforts were not only difficult, but dangerous. In this particular case, the police chief had to release a high percentage of the police force due to corruption and train an entire new cadre of young police officers. So we see that even these models are not simple, and take a great deal of time, effort and personal investment by many actors. I am pleased that we will now expand this program in Honduras, which has launched the first Model Precinct Program. President Lobo has indicated that funds from the new security tax will go towards the expansion of these efforts.

Solving the crime and insecurity that plagues Central America requires a set of multi-faceted responses that include involvement by every sector of society. My message to those of you here today is that your governments need you – they need your investment in the country. And more importantly, they need your support to help increase the political will needed to face these tough issues head-on. They need your help to rebuild weak institutions, to strengthen the judicial system, to build capacity through the government, all essential for a meaningful and long lasting response.