US-Colombia Deal Fosters Drug Trade

US-Colombia Deal Fosters Drug Trade

Bogota, Apr 5 (Prensa Latina) The Free Trade Treaty (FTT) between the United States and Colombia would boost coca planting and sale of cocaine to United States consumers, the Polo Democrático Alternativo (PDA) party warned.

In a letter to the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, released in Bogota, PDA chairman Carlos Gaviria Diaz, referred to the negative consequences of the agreement.

The ruin of Colombian agriculture by the treaty would stimulate planting coca for drug trafficking to US cities, the text added.

According to the letter, events have demostrated that the Colombian government has not given a satisfactory answer to violence in that country, especially against union leaders and human rights activists.

The letter by the main opposition party in Colombia is also addressed to Senate majority leader, Harry Reid and Democrat presidential hopefuls Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton.

The top-ranking representative of PD affirmed that the Democratic Party could contribute to improve relations between both countries by opposing the signing of the FTT.

United States trade representative, Susan Schwab is leading the US delegation that will hold talks on the FTT and expects to meet with President Alvaro Uribe and other Colombian leaders.

President George W. Bush will present Congress with the FTT with Colombia which is being opposed by Democrat congressmen.

Approval for the project in the House requires 218 of 435 possible votes, so the Colombian government has been lobbying intensely for several weeks.

By romy on Apr 5, 2008, 12:08 in Politics & the war.

Sam Salmon says on Apr 5, 2008, 21:56:

Mas pendejada.

' a la orden!'

jack_jason says on Apr 6, 2008, 00:53:

RAAAY you can add USD1K to you bank account by deletting this threat.

This is just spanglish, please do not correct me

buggy says on Apr 6, 2008, 01:44:

Bogotá, Colombia

March 24, 2008

Congresswoman
NANCY PELOSI
Speaker of the House of Representatives

Senator
HARRY REID
Senate Majority Leader

Senator
HILLARY CLINTON

Senator
BARACK OBAMA

RE: Voting against the FTA is the right decision.

The /Polo Democrático Alternativo/ (Democratic Alternative Pole, a Colombian political party), supports our nation's economic, political and cultural relations with all the countries of the world including, certainly, the United States, because these relations contribute to the well-being of the people, to the extent that they are designed to meet the goal of achieving reciprocal benefits among the two parties.

The fundamental problem with the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the United States and Colombia is that it has been reduced to an agreement between winners and losers. Unfortunately, we Colombians are the losers, because we lose any possibility of achieving prosperous development. Likewise, many have also indicated correctly that this FTA benefits only a select minority in the United States, not the general population. For example, the destruction of Colombian agriculture caused by the FTA will stimulate the planting of coca in Colombia and more drug dealing in the streets of American cities.

In addition, the record shows that the government of President Alvaro Uribe Velez has not responded adequately to the violence that plagues Colombians and particularly union leaders and human rights activists, as is demonstrated by the alarming figures from last month, in which four union leaders were murdered. Recent studies conducted by the State Department and the United Nations reflect this current situation. In fact the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia has recently released a statement in which they express "deep concern over the death threats directed at leaders of social and human rights organizations who actively participated in the recent March 6 demonstration" in memory of the victims of all the violence in Colombia.

Therefore, the Democratic Party can make a positive contribution to improving relations between the people of our two countries by voting against the FTA between the United States and Colombia.

Sincerely,

CARLOS GAVIRIA DIAZ
President
Polo Democrático Alternativo

“Ojos y oídos para Norteamérica / para su propio pueblo, sordo y ciego" Pablo Neruda

juancegomez says on Apr 6, 2008, 06:29:

I understand the general concept, in that the FTA, under current conditions, could well affect legal Colombian agriculture to such a degree that drug crops may rise.