Thread: Trade deal will create ‘crisis’ in Central Amer

http://www.christianaid.org.uk/news/stories/050811s.htm

Trade deal will create ‘crisis’ in Central America /11.08.05

The US and Central American governments are negotiating a free-free trade agreement. But Christian Aid and its partners believe the deal will work against the poor.

According to Christian Aid experts the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) will worsen unemployment, migration and social problems in the region.

CAFTA is a trade pact between the United States, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

It will eliminate almost all trade barriers to US goods, services and farm products. Under the terms of the agreement small-scale Central American farmers will have to compete with American rice, bean and maize imports.

‘It’s a real crisis’ said Trinidad Sánchez, executive director of Honduran Christian Aid partner Alternative Community Marketing (COMAL).

‘More people from the countryside are going to flee to the cities. Sometimes they make it to the US and find cleaning jobs. Women stay behind with the kids and families are disintegrating.’

At a White House press conference in May this year, President George Bush said that this ‘free trade’ deal ‘will level the playing field’.

However, according to Moisés González, Christian Aid’s programme officer in Nicaragua, CAFTA will allow US farming industry to dump their subsidised products on Central American markets at prices below the cost of production.

‘Judging from past experience, this will drive thousands of local subsistence farmers off their land,’ said Mr Gonzalez.

‘It will be impossible to compete with US products. It’s a pitiful situation for peasant farmers. They lack the skills to find jobs in any sector apart from agriculture.’

US farmers will not be confronted with the same ‘free trade’ conditions. Sugar is one of Central America’s most important exports. Yet Central American sugar exports to the US will be subject to tariffs and quotas

Christian Aid’s Central American partners are also concerned that the trade agreement will violate environmental standards in their countries.

Trinidad Sánchez, of COMAL, said he feared that CAFTA would have an adverse effect on the Central American environment by allowing foreign companies to challenge national laws which for example, prevent them from dumping waste in ecological reserves.

‘It’s not a free trade agreement; it’s a free investment agreement,’ said Mr Sánchez. ‘It’s to ensure that big investors have the social and political conditions to invest here without any restrictions. CAFTA goes over our constitution. Our own laws won’t count to assure human rights and workers’ rights.’

‘It’s not a free trade agreement; it’s a free investment agreement,’ said Mr Sánchez. ‘It’s to ensure that big investors have the social and political conditions to invest here without any restrictions. CAFTA goes over our constitution. Our own laws won’t count to assure human rights and workers’ rights.’

Gee, therre is someone who gets it...

‘It’s not a free trade agreement; it’s a free investment agreement,’ said Mr Sánchez. ‘It’s to ensure that big investors have the social and political conditions to invest here without any restrictions. CAFTA goes over our constitution. Our own laws won’t count to assure human rights and workers’ rights.’

Interesting that CAFTA was touted as promoting "democracy" - which most people think as "rule by the people."

How exactly can the people be ruling when they don't have any say about the rules governing their nation (as their constitution, laws are being made to be impotent and irrelevant)?

Hmmm, what do the elites exactly mean when they talk in glowing terms about "spreading democracy"? I get the impression what they really mean is "rule by America's wealthiest people" for the benefit of the same, with great hardship to everyone else.

The globalist agenda seeks to reduce all of civilisation to whatever benefits the elite's economic interests, without any concern to anyone else's economic interests or to any other issues, whether relating to cultural heritage, political freedoms & democracy, a safe environment, families & communities, crime, etc. What else have I left out?

The Globalist agenda is Marxist Socialism. Rule of the masses by an elite group of Money Mongers.

When the Bush Administration talks about spreading democracy he is ONLY talking about establishing democracy for the purpose of ejecting tyrants. He can not be the dictator if a dictator already holds the throne in a nation.

The trade agreements bypass the constitutions of all the countries involved with the US, including our own.

WE must impeach this man; get him out; repeal CAFTA before we destroy these countries and our own.

Originally Posted by Judy

"A Nation Without Borders Is Not A Nation." Ronald Reagan "SAVE AMERICA, DEPORT CONGRESS." Judy .

I like that ... deport Congress