Thread: Thousands of Peruvians March in Protest of Proposed Free Tra

Jul 13, 2005

Thousands of Peruvians March in Protest of Proposed Free Trade Pact With U.S.
The Associated Press


LIMA, Peru (AP) - About 4,000 Peruvians representing the nation's agricultural and pharmaceutical sectors marched Wednesday through the capital's financial district to protest a proposed free trade pact with the United States.
Peru, Ecuador and Colombia have been in negotiations with Washington for more than a year to create a pact aimed at giving the three South American nations tariff-free access to the large U.S. market.

The protesters, some of whom rode on horseback, carried signs that said: "Competition, yes. Monopoly, no," and "Don't give it away. Negotiate."

Growers of sugar cane, rice, corn, potatoes and cotton, among other products, fear U.S. agricultural subsidies will make it impossible for them to compete.

Meanwhile, in Geneva, Paul Hunt, a U.N. special health rights investigator, said Wednesday that a U.S.-Peru free trade agreement could make essential drugs unaffordable to more than half of Peru's population that lives in poverty.

The proposed free trade agreement includes greater patent protection than is required under World Trade Organization rules, which could restrict future government action to protect public health, he said.

But President Alejandro Toledo's government is eager to seal the deal.

Peru's Finance Minister Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said Monday that Peru might sign a free trade deal with the United States, even if its other Andean nation negotiating partners fail to reach an agreement.

Toledo said Tuesday that his government would sign a pact, "no matter what," prompting criticism from opponents that the government is not interested in hard bargaining to achieve the best deal possible for Peruvians.

"The Peruvian negotiators appear to be gringos," Luis Zuniga, president of the National Peruvian Agro Convention, said Wednesday as he marched. "Until now they haven't gotten us anything for the nation. Just the opposite. They've given away 50 percent of the national market to the United States."

AP-ES-07-13-05 1711EDT

This story can be found at: http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBG3QH24BE.html

You are correct, South Americans. You do not want a trade pack like this with the United States. It may surprise you, but neither do we.

FIRE YOUR NEGOTIATORS!!

We're trying to FIRE OURS!

We may need to march and protest as well.

JP--Music to my ears!! I've been feeling the need as you know to don a head band, arm band and tote banners and posters in a March on Someone Somewhere.

I've never marches, protested, bucked the system before in my life. I've been one of those silly "support the establishment" 4th generation GOP'ers all my life. I'd speak my mind, I'd write letters, I'd stand up for right in my job....but never what you would call "activism".

BUT THIS situation requires more "visibility". A Louder Voice.

If Peruvians can do it, then surely, we can too!!

I feeeeel the neeeeeed!!

Discuss and let me know.