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TWO DIE in Guatemala free trade protests
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).
Two die in Guatemala free trade protests
17 Mar 2005 16:13:00 GMT
Christian Aid - UK
Website: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/news
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).
The deaths in Huehuetenango follow days of violence as people across Guatemala joined the biggest demonstrations ever seen in the country. Protestors argue that the CAFTA will make Central American countries more dependent on the US.
As the anti-CAFTA rally ended, police and soldiers launched a violent attack on the crowd using batons and tear gas. Two protestors were fatally shot.
Police surrounded the headquarters of Guatemala’s trade unions under orders to capture trade union leaders.
The violence followed similar protests in neighbouring Honduras when anti-CAFTA campaigners stormed congress when the government signed CAFTA on 4 March a month ahead of schedule.
Honduras was the second country to sign up to the agreement following El Salvador which signed in December 2004 and now Guatemala is the third. Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua are still under negotiation.
Trinidad Sanchez, Director of Comal, a Christian Aid partner in Honduras, said: ‘We have raised our voice to denounce the danger that comes with this free trade agreement.
‘This is going to increase unemployment, it is going to increase the crisis of food security in the country, and it is going to make health and education less accessible for the people in Honduras. And this is not only for Honduras, but for the whole of Central America.’
CAFTA follows the North American Free Trade Agreement signed in 1996 between Canada, US and Mexico
As part of a coalition of organisations campaigning against CAFTA, Comal has logged the impact of NAFTA on Mexico. It has argued that overall NAFTA has increased inequality and reduced incomes for the vast majority of Mexican workers.
Comal argues free trade with the US is going to bring misery to the poor of Central America who will be forced to compete in an unfair market. Agriculture will be the worst hit and peasant farmers are at risk of not being able to grow and sell beans and maize - Central America’s staple diet.
As the world gears up for the Global Week of Action against unfair trade, Central America will continue pressing against CAFTA. Trinidad Sanchez was one of at the World Social Forum in Delhi in 2004 when the idea of a week of solidarity campaigning was born.
Señor Sanchez said: ‘We have been opposing the CAFTA treaty for many years. What we wanted from the international campaign was the linking of movements. We had not predicted though that the Global Week of Action would coincide with the singing of the treat in Central America, it’s a good coincidence.’
17 Mar 2005 16:13:00 GMT
Christian Aid - UK
Website: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/news
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).
The deaths in Huehuetenango follow days of violence as people across Guatemala joined the biggest demonstrations ever seen in the country. Protestors argue that the CAFTA will make Central American countries more dependent on the US.
As the anti-CAFTA rally ended, police and soldiers launched a violent attack on the crowd using batons and tear gas. Two protestors were fatally shot.
Police surrounded the headquarters of Guatemala’s trade unions under orders to capture trade union leaders.
The violence followed similar protests in neighbouring Honduras when anti-CAFTA campaigners stormed congress when the government signed CAFTA on 4 March a month ahead of schedule.
Honduras was the second country to sign up to the agreement following El Salvador which signed in December 2004 and now Guatemala is the third. Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua are still under negotiation.
Trinidad Sanchez, Director of Comal, a Christian Aid partner in Honduras, said: ‘We have raised our voice to denounce the danger that comes with this free trade agreement.
‘This is going to increase unemployment, it is going to increase the crisis of food security in the country, and it is going to make health and education less accessible for the people in Honduras. And this is not only for Honduras, but for the whole of Central America.’
CAFTA follows the North American Free Trade Agreement signed in 1996 between Canada, US and Mexico
As part of a coalition of organisations campaigning against CAFTA, Comal has logged the impact of NAFTA on Mexico. It has argued that overall NAFTA has increased inequality and reduced incomes for the vast majority of Mexican workers.
Comal argues free trade with the US is going to bring misery to the poor of Central America who will be forced to compete in an unfair market. Agriculture will be the worst hit and peasant farmers are at risk of not being able to grow and sell beans and maize - Central America’s staple diet.
As the world gears up for the Global Week of Action against unfair trade, Central America will continue pressing against CAFTA. Trinidad Sanchez was one of at the World Social Forum in Delhi in 2004 when the idea of a week of solidarity campaigning was born.
Señor Sanchez said: ‘We have been opposing the CAFTA treaty for many years. What we wanted from the international campaign was the linking of movements. We had not predicted though that the Global Week of Action would coincide with the singing of the treat in Central America, it’s a good coincidence.’
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A demostrator against the free trade agreement between Central America and United States (CAFTA) writes grafitti that reads 'Free Trade Agreement Kills Us' in Guatemala City, Wednesday March 9, 2005. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Pass on Tapart News and Art that Talks advocacy demonstrating the failures of so called Free Trade for over the the past ten years. See http://www.tapsearch.com/tapartnews , http://tapsnewstory.filetap.com http://arklineart.fotopages.com
http://www.graphicsforums.com/public/list.asp?id=1250 The US Government start funding the moving of factories to cheaper labor markets in 1956. Now, Governments, elite groupings, vast transnational corporations and international entities like the WTO link together as one outside any real Democratic process without consent of workers anywhere. The US and other world governments have betrayed workers across the globe making them the real commodities involved with so called Free Trade.
Everyone should know that both parties in the USA backed the passing of the unfair NAFTA, GATT and WTO projects. It was President Clinton, a Democrat President and a Democrat controlled Congress that passed both NAFTA and GATT even though the 'Contract with America' Republicans won Congress. President Clinton called a lame duck session of Congress to pass GATT. He joined hands with Republicans Rep. Gingrich and Sen Dole in passing the measure. Even Rush Limbaugh promoted both NAFTA and GATT betraying real Conservatism and the human dignity of workers everwhere. President Bush followed and passed Fast Track which gives the Excutive Branch the trade powers that rightly belongs to Congress subject to the voters.
One does not have to get into any conspiracy theories to know that Governments are directly pushing for a global economy outside any democratic process. Workers everywhere should unite to stop this terrible trend. Pass on Tapart News and Art that Talks and view the Cross 9/11 Tangle of Terror artwork by Ray Tapajna asking who will now untangle the terror Globalism and Free Trade have bred. See Who Has the Key? Workers are Handcuffed editorial cartoon at Tapart News or
We must think Global but act Local. Help restore local value added economies from raw products up through 5 to 7 levels to retail. Without this the Free Enterprise system is dead and a new wage slave trade with economic Colonialism taking its place.
http://www.graphicsforums.com/public/list.asp?id=1250 The US Government start funding the moving of factories to cheaper labor markets in 1956. Now, Governments, elite groupings, vast transnational corporations and international entities like the WTO link together as one outside any real Democratic process without consent of workers anywhere. The US and other world governments have betrayed workers across the globe making them the real commodities involved with so called Free Trade.
Everyone should know that both parties in the USA backed the passing of the unfair NAFTA, GATT and WTO projects. It was President Clinton, a Democrat President and a Democrat controlled Congress that passed both NAFTA and GATT even though the 'Contract with America' Republicans won Congress. President Clinton called a lame duck session of Congress to pass GATT. He joined hands with Republicans Rep. Gingrich and Sen Dole in passing the measure. Even Rush Limbaugh promoted both NAFTA and GATT betraying real Conservatism and the human dignity of workers everwhere. President Bush followed and passed Fast Track which gives the Excutive Branch the trade powers that rightly belongs to Congress subject to the voters.
One does not have to get into any conspiracy theories to know that Governments are directly pushing for a global economy outside any democratic process. Workers everywhere should unite to stop this terrible trend. Pass on Tapart News and Art that Talks and view the Cross 9/11 Tangle of Terror artwork by Ray Tapajna asking who will now untangle the terror Globalism and Free Trade have bred. See Who Has the Key? Workers are Handcuffed editorial cartoon at Tapart News or
We must think Global but act Local. Help restore local value added economies from raw products up through 5 to 7 levels to retail. Without this the Free Enterprise system is dead and a new wage slave trade with economic Colonialism taking its place.
For more information:
http://www.tapsearch.com/tapartnews
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