Argentina and the United States signed a five-year agreement to address child trafficking on Oct. 22, formalizing cooperation on victim assistance and criminal cases during a broader security push.
Argentina’s Justice Ministry said U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Justice Minister Juan Bautista Mahiques signed the agreement in Buenos Aires. The program covers steps to prevent trafficking, protect and assist victims, and investigate and prosecute cases. It also calls for coordination between public agencies and civil-society groups. The U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons will support the effort.
The Justice Ministry’s announcement did not give the pact a funding figure. A separate U.S. package, announced by Argentina’s Presidency on Oct. 5, covered counternarcotics and organized-crime efforts. It totaled $13.35 million: $7.5 million for projects in Argentina and $5.85 million for regional initiatives that include the country. Argentina said the package would raise cooperation resources to 10 times their previous level.
Argentina’s government had expanded its security designations a day before the pact was signed. On Oct. 21, it classified the Cártel de Sinaloa, La Nueva Familia Michoacana, FARC-EP, ELN and Los Tiguerones as terrorist organizations and added them to the RePET registry. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said Argentina “calls terrorism by its name and fights it in all its forms,” the Associated Press reported.
At a news conference with Quirno, Landau described the U.S.-Argentina relationship as unusually aligned, the Associated Press reported. The visit took place amid a wider bilateral agenda: the countries launched the Andes–Atlantic Corridor on Sept. 23 to support public and private projects in transport, energy and digital infrastructure. Its financing framework allows them to explore up to $7 billion for eligible projects through 2027.
