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CAFTA

Bush to woo Hispanic support for CAFTA trade pact
19-Apr-2005
President Bush is expected to step up pressure for Congress to quickly pass a new free trade agreement with Central America, beginning with a speech this week to a Hispanic business group, industry officials said on Monday.
US lawmakers express skepticism about Central American trade pact
14-Apr-2005 Knight Ridder
For the first time since Congress fought fiercely over the North American Free Trade Agreement 11 years ago, a US president’s proposed trade deal faces major resistance on Capitol Hill.
Maryland legislature revokes Governor Ehrlich’s CAFTA commitment
12-Apr-2005 Public Citizen
The Maryland General Assembly’s override today rescinding Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s 2003 commitment to allow Maryland’s state procurement rules to be bound by pending trade agreements negotiated by the Bush administration and in previous trade agreements such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) is a victory for Maryland taxpayers and the latest evidence of state officials’ growing demands for accountability in international trade negotiations, Public Citizen said today.
CAFTA passage by US Congress far from certain
5-Apr-2005
Supporters of the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) have attempted to create the impression that the United States Congress is likely to ratify CAFTA in the coming session. This is a concentrated effort to spread disinformation about the true nature of the situation in Washington.
Opposition to CAFTA will make vote difficult
5-Apr-2005
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) said this week that opposition to the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) from Senate Agriculture Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) has made CAFTA passage “very, very difficult,” and added in a March 29 press conference that another difficulty is stronger-than-usual opposition from the sugar lobby and organized labor.
CAFTA’s profit motive
31-Mar-2005 Washington Post
The fundamental reality of most of the US’ trade accords is that they are designed to maximize corporate profits no matter the cost to the peoples of the signatory nations.
Sandinistas say FTA bad for health
31-Mar-2005 Prensa Latina
Sandinista National Liberation Front legislators will present a minority report against ratification of the FTA (Free Trade Agreement) with the United States, Nicaraguan Congresswoman Alba Palacio said.
Global bully goes to Guatemala
21-Mar-2005 IP-Health
The global bully, the United States, has just coerced Guatemala, its latest victim, into repealing an important law to lower the price of pharmaceuticals and promote generic competition. The U.S. ambassador to Guatemala acknowledged that the Guatemalan law was intended to advance public health objectives. But, no matter, he said — U.S. commercial interests in the form of Big Pharma demanded that the law go.
Two die in Guatemala free trade protests
18-Mar-2005 Indybay (with photos)
Two people were killed and many injured as violence broke out during protests in Guatemala on Tuesday 15 March when President Oscar Berge ratified the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
Costa Rica rules out immediate ratification of FTA with US
17-Mar-2005 Xinhua
Costa Rica on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of an immediate ratification of the free trade agreement (FTA) between Central America and the United States due to pressure from economic and social sectors.
Guatemalan groups vow to continue protests against FTA
16-Mar-2005 Xinhua
Guatemalan grassroots organizations said on Tuesday that they will not give up protests against the Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (FTA), ratified last week by the parliament.
Guatemala ratifies free trade pact with United States
10-Mar-2005 San Diego Union Tribune
Shrugging off rowdy protests in the streets, Guatemala’s Congress voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to ratify a Central American free trade agreement with the United States.
Guatemala set to quash FTA protests with troops
10-Mar-2005
Protesters blocked access to the legislature to prevent a vote on a trade pact with Washington, and lawmakers who ventured outside were chased for blocks.
Letter to reject environment chapter of CAFTA (Eng/Esp)
8-Mar-2005
We are enclosing a letter in English and Spanish proposed by different Central American and USA organizations to be delivered in our respective Congresses. We are protesting the contents and consecuences that the US-DR-CAFTA will bring in general to the society and the environment, but especially in this case Chapter No. 17 related to environment.
Guatemala postpones ratification of FTA with US
6-Mar-2005 Angola Press
The Guatemalan Congress on Wednesday postponed for at least one week the ratification of the country`s free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, following massive protests Tuesday by thousands of demonstrators.
Honduras ratifies CAFTA
3-Mar-2005 Forbes
Honduras on Thursday became the second Latin American country after El Salvador to ratify a free trade agreement with the United States. Lawmakers immediately fled Congress following their decision, however, to avoid 1,000 government employees who were protesting the measure outside.
Clash continues on US-Central America trade deal
2-Mar-2005 IP Watch
Protection of pharmaceutical patents may not be the biggest reason the Bush administration is struggling to line up congressional votes for a free trade agreement with five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic, but it remains critical to its passage.
Central American Ombudsmen propose referendum to FTA
24-Feb-2005 Prensa Latina
Central American Ombudsmen will end a three-day meeting in Guatemala urging regional governments to put to popular referendum the Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with the United States.
NAFTA Chapter 11 investor-state cases: Lessons for the CAFTA
23-Feb-2005 Public Citizen
A new study by Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch analyzes 42 NAFTA investor-state challenges and illustrates how the proposed CAFTA would extend the threat.
We must lead the way on free trade
22-Feb-2005
Free trade is one of the critical components of U.S. efforts to develop enduring, stabilizing influences in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa — key regions for our work to thwart the rise of terrorism and illiberal government.