Morales urges Latin American countries to kill FTA with U.S.

Bolivia's President Evo Morales on Thursday urged Latin American countries to kill their free trade agreements with the United States, so as to keep the Andean Community alive.

"They should stop any negotiations with the United States regarding a free trade agreement, because these treaties are destroying the Andean Community," Morales told a press conference prior to the EU-Latin Summit. He appealed to Colombia, Peru and Ecuador in his call.

Morales accused the three of abandoning the "basic principles" of the Andean Community by ratifying the FTA with the United States.

"The basic foundation of the Andean Community was to strengthen the regional economy and market," Morales said.

Peoples Daily

The FTA hurts everyone that works for a living.

any voice in any of the countries which accepted _Bush's arrangement.

It's not that they didn't tell anyone their feelings and views. There were demonstrations everywhere.

They've been lousy for the US worker. I do have to laugh at the whole "principles of the Andean Community" thing, the political mindset is one of exploitation of the most powerless, but then again Chavez, Morales and the Chinese president who is entering into agreements with them all passionately believe that the poorest are to be used and exploited as slave labor for the "glory of the state".

you're talking very different countries and comparing two democratically-elected presidents with one dubiously elected one.

Love to read about this.

edited because read is not spelled raed.

will be setting up shop in Latin America - factories and resource type industries. One could argue that the workers there will continue to be wage-slaves making profit for the national governments and China. Of course, that's a more cynical view........

Any links?

That's the most peculiar charge ever lobbed at either President by far. Absolutely original.

I'd love to see all those informative references, as well!



"exploiters" of the people, as a new poster claimed, or "men of the people?"

Someone hasn't been doing much keeping up with news from South America, it would seem!

...

agreement that we should have more of: countries with similar levels of development but different strengths and weaknesses trading back and forth. Venezuela has oil, Bolivia has tin, etc.

...too bad our president is too beholden to corporate interests to work with the Democrats and craft a real fair, free, trade agreement with our neighbors to the south. Bush's unwillingness to support single payer health care, trade adjustment, and rolling back of unfair agriculuture subsidies has actually hurt the cause of free trade and turned Americans protectionist. Nice job!