Give Us Time to Assess Colombia Free Trade Pact / WSJ, March 18, 2008

Give Us Time to Assess Colombia Free Trade Pact
March 18, 2008; Page A21
The proposed Colombia Free Trade Agreement involves many complex issues; your paper's one-sided attack ("The Chávez Democrats1," Review & Outlook, March 10) is therefore disappointing.

You launched a misleading attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and congressional Democrats, trivializing their legitimate questions about Colombia's troubling history of labor activist assassinations and human-rights violations. Rather than allowing Congress to adequately assess whether Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe has taken meaningful steps to protect labor leaders and other human rights activists from violence and prosecute those responsible for committing these heinous crimes, you are pushing for Congress to approve this agreement before that assessment is made. Setting up this agreement as merely choosing between Mr. Chávez and Colombia is resorting to a pointless and counterproductive "you are with or against us" mentality. It also mocks the plight of the broken families and communities victimized by this violence.

Speaker Pelosi has spent most of her two decades in Congress working to expand human rights around the globe and has been crystal clear in her views of Mr. Chávez's record of abuses, strong arm tactics, and outrageous statements.

Similarly well-documented is her commitment to free and fair trade in order to expand markets for U.S. businesses, farmers and workers. To that end, the speaker and House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel launched bipartisan discussions last spring to resuscitate a stalled trade agenda. This resulted in a strong bipartisan vote on the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement last November.

Rep. Howard Berman
(D., Calif.)
Chairman
House Foreign Affairs Committee
Washington

You have accurately reported how during his first and second terms as president, Alvaro Uribe has been the engine of several social, political and economic transformations in Colombia, and how his actions have turned a once hopeless Colombia into a vibrant and promising land. His approach to the recent crisis in Latin America, fueled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, was a demonstration of his exemplary diplomacy and solid character. Colombia's decisive military actions may have caused diplomatic distress in the region, but are clear and tangible results for President Uribe and his mission of exterminating the FARC.

But as accurately noted by Mary Anastasia O'Grady ("The FARC Files," Americas, March 10), the information discovered in the Ecuador-based terrorist camp where FARC leader Raul Reyes was killed by the Colombian army should not be disregarded. It shows that Mr. Uribe not only must fight the FARC as the internal cancer that developed within his country, but that he also must fight it as it is supported by Mr. Chávez and his marionettes in Latin America, including the leaders of Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua. When FARC files mentioning uranium, arms, cocaine and hostages also include references to support from the governments of several countries in the region, the world should watch closely.

The Rio summit may have brought calm to the diplomatic rings, but it should not bring silence and impunity to the crimes being fueled by the inadequately termed Bolivarian revolution of Mr. Chávez. If only the Libertador Bolívar could see Venezuelan and Ecuadorian battalions pointed at Colombia!

Fernando J. Gómez, Ph.D.
Chicago

By tejasmarcos on Mar 18, 09:00 in Friendly Talkzone.

tejasmarcos says on Mar 18, 09:03:

2 sides to every story i guess.

god is in your head

aztec says on Mar 18, 13:16:

That is bull sh..! The Democrats are pandering to their base (Unions). They care nothing about the welfare of either country. They will sell there mothers to regain the Presidency.

RAAAY says on Mar 18, 13:19:

The Unions have a valid point........

They also have every right to lobby for their issues.....

.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

azunoman says on Mar 18, 13:42:

If it wasn't for American Unions 'the man' wouldn't be able to now strip Americans of what used to be world class benefits.

Ready, Fire, Aim

tejasmarcos says on Mar 18, 16:47:

yeah, they kinda put a "heartfelt" spin on that story, huh?

god is in your head