[R-G] Fwd: [+Colombia+] 21 Days to Stop the Canada-Colombia FTA

[Anthony Fenton]

Dear friends:

The Canada-Colombia "free trade agreement" is now on its way through  
the Canadian Parliament for ratification. The current ultra- 
conservative Canadian government launched the process of ratification,  
but it is supported by Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff; if  
other Liberals fall in line behind Ignatieff, this damaging agreement  
will be ratified. Parliament has 21 working days to debate the text of  
the agreement, which is quite similar to that of the US-Colombia FTA.

Without a doubt, ratification of the Canada-Colombia FTA would be used  
in Washington as a way to pressure the Obama administration and the US  
Congress with the argument "If Canada is willing to sign an agreement,  
the United States must do so too."

Canadians and Colombians are issuing urgent calls to join their  
struggle against their countries' FTA. They tell us that support from  
people in the US is very important and highly appreciated. Thus we are  
working in direct coordination with social movements in Canada and  
Colombia, and strategies for supporting this struggle from the United  
States are quickly being fine-tuned. The effort must take high  
priority--it's our last chance to oppose this FTA.

Remember, if the Canada-Colombia FTA passes, the way will be paved for  
the US-Colombia FTA and other pending agreements. Please contact us if  
you want to help.

In the coming days we'll be in touch again with actions and letters so  
that you can speak out. For now, below you will find a March 31, 2009,  
letter sent from congresspersons in Colombia to their counterparts in  
Canada, urging a NO vote on ratification.

---
Across the Americas
P.O. Box 268733 <-- new
Chicago, IL 60626-8733
773-938-1036 (phone and fax)
http://www.acrosstheamericas.org
info at acrosstheamericas.org


##


Bogotá, 31 March 2009

INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMITTEE
OF THE CANADIAN PARLIAMENT

Ottawa, Canada

The undersigned Colombian senators and representatives most cordially  
invite you to not approve the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed by the  
governments of Canada and Colombia.

In brief, there are two main reasons for our request:

Almost twenty years of “free trade” in Colombia show that such  
policies cause major damage to the urban and rural economies of our  
country, place the State in the service of powerful monopolies and  
transnationals, further concentrate wealth, and increase unemployment  
and poverty. In addition, the current international economic crisis  
and Canada’s experience spanning several decades show that “free  
trade” is also not positive for Canadian workers.

The FTA between Colombia and Canada may serve powerful economic  
interests in the two countries, but not their respective peoples.

Secondly, the U.S. Democratic Party is completely right in stating  
that the Colombian government headed by President Alvaro Uribe would  
not pass a human rights test, especially with respect to the violence  
against trade unionists and the impunity that the government enjoys.  
It is obvious that an FTA between Canada and Colombia will be used in  
the United States and Europe as a sort of absolution of the Colombian  
government in this regard. Is the Canadian government certain that it  
can issue such an absolution? How does that decision serve the  
Canadian people?

Instead of the FTA, parliamentarians from the two countries must seek  
the best means of establishing relations between our peoples.

Sincerely,

Signing Senators:
Jorge Enrique Robledo Castillo, Gloria Inés Ramírez, Luis Carlos  
Avellaneda, Alexander López, Parmenio Cuellar, Jesús Bernal.

Signing Representatives to the Chamber:
Germán Enrique Reyes Forero, Germán Navas Talero, Pedro Obando, River  
Franflin Legro, René Garzón, María Isabel Urrutia, Venus Albeiro Silva  
Gómez, Wilson Borja Díaz.

[signatures follow]

##


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