First joint training on Intelligence into Evidence to Paraguay, Uruguay  

EU Global Facility delivers first joint training on Intelligence into Evidence to Paraguay, Uruguay 

ASUNCION, 12 September 2023 – The EU Global Facility on Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) on Tuesday launched its very first joint training on ‘Turning Intelligence into Evidence’ in Latin America.

Organised by the EU Global Facility, Paraguay’s Secretariat for the Prevention of Money or Asset Laundering (SEPRELAD) and Uruguay’s National Secretariat for the Fight against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (SENACLAFT) the training is targeted at 60 representatives from the law enforcement and justice sectors of Paraguay and Uruguay

The activity, which will span over three days, seeks to reinforce information sharing mechanisms across different agencies and provide them with tools and strategies for effective utilisation of intelligence in legal proceedings to maximise evidential outcomes.

Minister of the Supreme Court of Justice of Paraguay, María Llanes, emphasised the “paramount importance” of this training, particularly in light of the evolving sophistication of organised crime’s methods for perpetrating offenses, which has increased its influence both locally and internationally.

“This poses a significant threat not only to the nation’s security and economic stability but also to the protection of the full spectrum of rights that a democratic and social state is obliged to safeguard. These threats encompass national and transnational organised crime, drug trafficking, money laundering, public and private corruption, terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This dynamic necessitates a more rigorous, technically advanced, and coordinated approach among all domestic and international institutions involved in the criminal justice system.”

Minister Llanes further elaborated, stating, “Our objective is to continue enhancing the capacity of law enforcement agencies to further bolster the ongoing intensive monitoring efforts within our nation. We aim to achieve more substantial outcomes, particularly in the context of result 7, pertaining to the investigation and prosecution of money laundering,” as highlighted by Minister Liliana Alcaraz Recalde of Seprelad.

“The generous support from the EU’s Global Facility enables us to transform intelligence into actionable evidence, aligning with the overarching theme set forth by this international organisation during the inaugural collaborative training initiative between Seprelad and Senaclaft,” affirmed the highest-ranking authority.

Collaboration and information exchange among institutions involved in AML/CFT efforts are crucial for success. However, these processes have been identified as problematic not only among regulators and law enforcement agencies but also between the public and private sectors. As a response, the EU Global Facility designed the “Turning Intelligence into Evidence” workshop series.

EU Head of the Political Section of the EU Delegation to Paraguay, Fredrik Sterner, highlighted the importance of cooperation in order to address this challenge, commending the work conducted by the EU Global Facility in this regard.

“ It is unthinkable to talk about prevention or repression of money laundering, working in isolation and without international cooperation. But coordination must also be regional in scope, in order to be able to confront the large criminal organisations that attack our region with such harmful scourges as drug trafficking, organised crime and, as a consequence, money laundering,” stated Maria Noel Cabillon, legal adviser at the SENACLAFT in her opening speech.

Speaking on behalf of the Uruguayan authorities, she highlighted: “Uruguay, like many other regional countries, faces a shortage of money laundering convictions, necessitating comprehensive work throughout the process, from information gathering to evidence evaluation in court. These sessions are of paramount importance, bringing together 15 representatives from 8 organisations in Uruguay to share their expertise, acquire new knowledge, and foster the much-needed coordination and inter-institutional collaboration within our system.”

As of September 2023, the course has been delivered to partners in Jordan, Panama, Seychelles, Turkiye and the UAE. Today marks the very first workshop delivered in the Latin American continent. It is also the first time this course is jointly delivered to two partner jurisdictions.