Posted on 01/11/2006 11:16:53 PM PST by hedgetrimmer
The Central American Free Trade Agreement-Dominican Republic is struggling to get on its feet after six Central American countries, including the Dominican Republic, failed to meet a Jan. 1 preliminary start-up date.
All CAFTA countries have ratified the agreement with the exception of Costa Rica, El Salvador being the first in December 2004 and Nicaragua the most recent in September 2005.
"All countries recognized the Jan.1 date was an ambitious goal and that they might not have completed their implementation process by that time," said Stephen Norton, spokesman for the U.S. Trade Representative office.
At issue are the "technical changes" the nations must make in customs procedures and regulations regarding intellectual property rights, telecommunications and procurement.
Portman said countries will come on line under a "rolling process" when they have completed the implementation process to USTR satisfaction, including a presidential proclamation from each nation.
CAFTA-DR’s troubles have invigorated hope among opponents that the trade agreement could be derailed.
But Burke Stansbury, executive director for the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, a U.S. based group opposing CAFTA-DR, said it’s unlikely the agreement will fall apart but"we are not giving up."
"From day one the Bush administration has been trying to ram CAFTA down people’s throats, with little substantive debate and despite voices of tremendous opposition," he said. "In Costa Rica they have failed, and in other countries it took repression and dirty tactics to ratify CAFTA."
Stansbury likened CAFTA-DR to an "investors’ and corporate" rights agreement for the United States and U.S. corporations.
"U.S. corporations want strict fines and penalties in place before they set up their businesses there," he said. "The USTR is demanding each nation to come up with a whole list of reforms that align with CAFTA."
That amounts to constitutional or domestic law rewrites for each country involved, said Tom Rickert, co-director of the Quioxte Center, a Maryland based group opposing CAFTA-DR.
"The problems associated with implementing CAFTA demonstrates what we’ve been saying all along: This agreement goes beyond trade in requiring dramatic changes in domestic laws that grant new rights to transnational corporations at the expense of working people," he said.
Ricker also said CAFTA was being used as a mechanism to "re-energize the Free Trade Area of the Americas agreement."
The FTAA intends to bring every country in the Western Hemisphere under one free-trade umbrella -- possibly to the point of a common currency, the Amero, similar to the European Union’s Euro.
Norton supported the idea of CAFTA-DR being a forerunner to FTAA when he said," Successful CAFTA-DR implementation is critical to the broader U.S. policy goals for the Americas of strengthening democratic governance, expanding economic opportunity, and investing in people."
Stansbury said, too, CAFTA-DR goes beyond other free-trade agreements in that it prohibits countries from discriminating against "trade in-services" or "basic social services being managed by a foreign country."
"It opens the way for foreign industry to manage services that have been traditionally managed by the state," he said.
When asked if that stipulation means a Central American national could become a local fire chief or police chief in the United States, Stansbury said, "It is possible."
CAFTA-DR funding
United States
The United States’ Trade Capacity Building policy gives financial aid to countries to align them with free trade agreements. USAID is another agency used to appropriate U.S. funds to bolster a nation's trade capabilities.
A partial listing of money being funneled into CAFTA countries include:
* Honduras -- $215 million
* Nicaragua -- $175 million
* Potential for similar amounts in 2006 for other CAFTA countries is provided by the Millennium Challenge Corporation appropriating U.S. funds -- Condoleeza Rice, chairman
* President’s FY2006 Budget Request: approximately $200 million for the region in development and capacity-building.
Inter American Development Bank (United States is a member) in a 2005-2009 loan pipeline for trade capacity building:
* Costa Rica -- $417 million
* El Salvador -- $375 million
* Dominican Republic -- $285 million
* Guatemala -- $281 million
* Honduras -- $142 million
* Nicaragua -- $103 million
World Bank (United States is a member)
* Over $1.14 billion in already approved loans in support of CAFTA’s reform agenda. Loans include financing for roads, ports, electricity, customs modernization, reductions in costs of doing business, rural development, strengthening governance and institutions.
Source: Office of the United States Trade Representative
#3. Misinformation: Quoting communist organizations on a conservative forum to discredit the freedom to trade.
#7 Unproven "Facts: "This is when a (usually immature) "writer" is frantically trying to "prove" a position and they begin to quote "studies", "reports", and "experts" as "proving" this or that, but they never mention the name of the study, location, where copies can be found, or the conditions specific to the experiments."
Hedgetrimmer in post #94
SO you don't agree with Burke Stansbury? Right.
But you never discuss the content of an article you only attack the poster.
If mentioning that one of the main people quoted in the article happens to work for and with Communist organizations to fight against CAFTA is considered an attack on you, then I guess I'm guilty, Comrade.
No, I'm not saying that. I am saying that if you post an article and agree with a Communist quoted in the article, don't be surprised if people start to associate you with Communists.
# 1. Guilt By Association: This is used to damage someone's reputation by associating them with an unattractive person or organization. It doesn't matter if there is an actual association or not.
If a Communist organization is unattractive, you shouldn't post articles quoting their agreement with you. It might damage your reputation.
You're the one who brought up propaganda techniques. I'm just pointing out how many of them apply to you.
Hmmmm...you post quotes from communist organizations, link us to propaganda techniques that you employ and make numerous statements with no basis in fact. I'd say you're the one who's getting pretty desperate here.
The FTAA intends to bring every country in the Western Hemisphere under one free-trade umbrella -- possibly to the point of a common currency, the Amero, similar to the European Union’s Euro.
Ah yes...just more proof that Americans are now THIRD Class Citizens in their own Country...made so by the OBL-ers in Business and La Hacienda Blanco in favor of all the Immigrants! It doesn't matter WHAT Americans want, we are being sold out by the Ruling Eeeee-lites!
I just LOVE the idea of the dollar being tied to the peso and all the other worthless coinage from Central America...almost as much as I love giving Corporations unfettered access to a massive slave labor pool!
And again, a nod to raybbr...
| We are now one of the largest Spanish-speaking nations in the world. We're a major source of Latin music, journalism and culture. Just go to Miami, or San Antonio, Los Angeles, Chicago or West New York, New Jersey ... and close your eyes and listen. You could just as easily be in Santo Domingo or Santiago, or San Miguel de Allende. For years our nation has debated this change -- some have praised it and others have resented it. By nominating me, my party has made a choice to welcome the new America. George Bush from a campaign speech in Miami, August 2000. |
|
WAKE UP, AMERICA! We have been SOLD OUT! Take our Country back now at the ballot box (if still possible), or else we'll be doing it in the Streets! |
God forbid we privatize tollway operation! It's socialism!
The City of Chicago announced it "closed" the concession sale of the Chicago Skyway tollroad this morning after it received $1,830 million by wire transfer. It says a 99-year lease is now in effect giving the Cintra-Macquarie consortium rights to operate the tollway.
Source
OH MY GOD! A consortium of Spaniards and Aussies has taken over a patch of pavement! To the barricades!
I believe Costa Rica has delayed because of the presidential elections the end of this month or perhaps in February. There is no serious opposition to the agreement in Costa Rica, and the characterization in this article that it has "failed" in Costa Rica is wishful thinking.
There's nothing that prevents it today or prevented it last year.
Another red herring.
Maybe the foreigners can fix the Hillside Strangler?
Well, "we" did move it east a few blocks after spending untold millions of dollars. Maybe we should throw a couple billion at it and move it to California.
I hope Ryan gets life in prison. First thing he did after he got elected was raise taxes on my alcohol. Corrupt bastard!! At least he should have a few lifer friends in the joint after he commuted their death sentences. Did I mention Ryan is a corrupt bastard?
'Eff him. I interviewed with some yob in Springfield shortly after Blago was elected. I commented that "sometimes, after being such a long time in power, a couple of years in the wilderness will reinvigorate the movement." The response was so banal that I left hoping those fat and lazy bureaucrats that pass for members of the Republican Party in the State of Illinois suffer the same fate as Ceaucescu.
I know what you mean.
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 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.
...Costa Rica, though, is holding out because of mounting opposition by trade unions, some farm groups and even some business leaders who say Cafta's intellectual-property clauses are too invasive.
...Rep. Moran, Republican Rep. Dan Burton of Indiana and other lawmakers last week tried to pressure Costa Rica by warning that Congress would eventually cut off existing trade preferences if Costa Rica's legislature didn't approve the Cafta.
--John Lyons, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
I am opposed to these alphabet soup trade agreements because I do not trust the federal government to ensure that our national sovereignty is protected and remains secure.
Business leaders, however, had varied responses.
At President Abel Pacheco's weekly Cabinet meeting Tuesday, Foreign Trade Vice-Minister Doris Osterlof said the postponement “decelerates a little, not much, the pressure on the Costa Rican productive sectors.” Business leaders here have often expressed fear that when CAFTA takes effect among the United States, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic – which was originally scheduled to take place Jan. 1 – Costa Rica will lose ground fast.
Now that the United States has pushed back the start date for the agreement for at least a month because, according to the U.S. Trade Representative, the other signatory countries have not yet made the necessary reforms in their legislation to prepare for CAFTA (an exact date has not been set – see The Nica Times for more details), Costa Rica has a little more time to play catch-up. Osterlof and Pacheco said the Executive Branch is moving ahead at full speed to complete its CAFTA-related obligations well before Pacheco's term ends in May.
“We are working intensely,” Pacheco said. According to Osterlof, Costa Rica has been “participating actively” in a legislative review process that began among all signatory countries shortly after the United States ratified CAFTA in (TT, July 29, 2005). Each country reviewed the reforms it would need to make in order to be eligible for CAFTA. In Costa Rica 's case, the laundry list of changes includes legislation for the gradual opening of the state monopolies on telecommunications, through the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), and insurance, through the National Insurance Institute (INS).
Costa Rica must also strengthen ICE to prepare it for such competition and tighten its laws governing intellectual property rights, among other changes.
Osterlof said all of these required reforms should be in the hands of the Legislative Assembly by the end of the month. Drafts of the laws to open ICE and INS to competition are ready and “in the process of review,” she said. The law to strengthen ICE is already in the assembly, though little progress has been made.
The Foreign Trade Ministry and the Justice Ministry are working on intellectual property rights reforms and plan to submit them to Pacheco soon, so he can send them to the assembly.
Pacheco submitted the pact to the Legislative Assembly last year (TT, Oct. 21, 2005), and the Foreign Affairs Committee began discussing it in December. This process is on hold because legislators are on vacation until February.
However, as usual, Pacheco said he is not worried about the country taking its time. “Always in my personal life, when I've rushed to make a decision, it's gone badly. When I've taken my time, it's gone well. I believe the lives of countries are similar,” he said.
The officials' comments received mixed reviews from the business community. Lynda Solar, executive director of the Costa Rican-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), strongly disagreed with the idea that CAFTA delays elsewhere will help businesses here.
“There's too much work to be done before thinking that this relieves the pressure,” she said. “It appears El Salvador will be logging on within the next month or so… and I don't see that CAFTA will be passed (here) before Jan. 2007.”
Sergio Navas, vice-president of the Chamber of Exporters, took a more moderate approach, and said he expects the pact to be approved within the first half of this year.
“It does give us a breather,” he said of the delay. “But we can't lose perspective.”
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