Costa Rica Balks At Free-Trade Pact (CAFTA)

[arcos]

Costa Rica Balks At Free-Trade Pact

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – With President Bush's plan to bind Central America and the U.S. in a free-trade pact already facing tough opposition in Congress, an obstacle has surfaced that further threatens the pact's chances of passage.

Costa Rica, the most-developed of the six nations that have signed the Central American Free Trade Agreement with the U.S., is balking at ratifying the accord. The country's parliament may not even vote on the pact until after the presidential election next February. The other Cafta nations are Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

The reluctance of Central America's oldest democracy has surprised the White House and undermines one of its chief arguments for the pact: that Cafta represents an urgently sought benefit for the impoverished region. Costa Rica's ambivalence and the long delay before it votes may influence undecided votes in Congress. The ambivalence already has allowed the opposition to the trade pact in Costa Rica to gain momentum.

"If Cafta comes down to two or three votes , which it very well might, people looking for an excuse not to vote for it might seize on the fact that Costa Rica is reluctant," says Rep. James Moran, a Virginia Democrat who supports the pact and flew to San Jose last week to lobby the government for Cafta.

<snip>

http://www.truthabouttrade.org/article.asp?id=3814

[sasquatch]

1. What the hell is Moran doing?

Jesus Christ it's bad enough that the BCF is trying to push this on us but a democrat too?!?!?
:eyes:

[arcos]

4. He's just honoring his last name...

[struggle4progress]

5. Moderate Dems oppose trade agreement

JIM ABRAMS

Associated Press


WASHINGTON - Four Democratic moderates who are crucial swing votes in Republican efforts to win approval of a free trade pact with Central America said Wednesday they would oppose the agreement because of what they consider weak labor provisions.

"As ardent supporters of fair trade, we cannot support the existing proposal and we call upon the president to go back to the drawing board," said Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., chair of the centrist group New Democrat Coalition.

Tauscher was joined by Reps. Ron Kind, D-Wis., Artur Davis, D-Ala., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., in a letter to President Bush saying they could not support the Central American Free Trade Agreement. They cited what they called its weak approach to worker rights and the administration's inadequate backing for retraining programs for American workers suffering from the effects of trade. <snip>

The four joined the overwhelming majority of Democrats who fault what is called the CAFTA agreement because they say it does little to change labor conditions in an area beset by low wages, child labor and suppression of unions. <snip>

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/politics/11563436.htm

[Imperialism Inc.]

2. Maybe they are worried the people will throw them out on their

butts. Has been happening a lot lately!

[CHIMO]

3. Maybe Fair Trade

Would be a winner.

Cripes, the largest US trading partners can't get along. May just be time to go back to the WTO.

http://www.news.gc.ca/cfmx/CCP/view/en/index.cfm?articleid=135609