08/05/2023
Bolivian authorities learn about the Spanish experience through their visit to Spanish institutions such as the National Police, the Supreme Court, the Civil Guard, the Public Prosecutor's Office, CITCO and the Secretary of State for the fight against Gender Violence
A Bolivian delegation made up of high-level personalities from Bolivian institutions involved in the protection and prevention of victims of human trafficking travelled to Spain to learn about the Spanish experience in the fight against this crime. The visit took place in the framework of a European cooperation programme led by the FIIAPP.
The visit allowed for an exchange of experiences between Bolivian and Spanish peer institutions in the protection, prevention and prosecution of human trafficking and human smuggling crimes. Throughout the meetings, key issues such as coordination, investigation methodologies, information management and protocols for action against human trafficking and smuggling were discussed.
During their stay in Spain, the Bolivian delegation met with the Government Delegate against Gender Violence, Mª Victoria Rosell Aguilar. During the meeting, both parties were able to address the issue of trafficking and exploitation, exchanging knowledge about the situation in Spain and Bolivia.
In addition, the delegation also met with institutions such as the International Cooperation Unit of the State Attorney General’s Office (UCIF) and the Human Trafficking and Foreigners Unit of the State Attorney General’s Office where the victim-centric approach, i.e. the protection and release of victims as a priority in investigations, was emphasised.
In relation to the comprehensive approach to human trafficking (prevention, criminal prosecution and protection of victims), the delegation also visited the General Council of the Judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Directorate General of the Police and the Directorate General of the Civil Guard.
The week of exchange ended with a visit to the Centre for Intelligence against Terrorism and Organised Crime (CITCO), where the Bolivian delegation was received by the Centre’s director, Manuel Navarrete. Staff from CITCO’s Organised Crime Division took part in the meeting, valuing the visit as “a very enriching and necessary meeting in which we have not only shown our way of working, but we have also learned from the Bolivian experience and we have exchanged views on common challenges to address trafficking and exploitation of human beings”.
This visit is part of the EU-funded cooperation programme led by the FIIAPP, European Support to Special Anti-Drug Forces in Bolivian Law Enforcement (2021 – 2023). Through this programme, the FIIAPP makes it possible for Bolivian and Spanish public professionals to work hand in hand, exchanging views and cooperating to curb crimes that transcend country borders, such as human trafficking and smuggling.
The Bolivian delegation that participated in the visit was made up of the Prosecutor, Daniel F. Lobos, the General Coordinator of the Division for the Fight against Human Trafficking and Human Smuggling of the Special Force for the Fight against Crime of the Bolivian Police, Captain Daniela Paola Pérez Vargas, and Deputy Magaly Lourdes Gómez Araníbar, president of the Commission for Human Rights, Equal Opportunity and Gender of the Chamber of Deputies.
