[R-G] Colombian President in Canada to woo politicians over free trade

[Anthony Fenton]

http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Labour-Industry/2009/06/09/ColombiaPresidentVisitFreeTrade/

Colombian President in Canada to woo politicians over free trade
By Amelia Bellamy-Royds June 9, 2009 06:48 pm 3 comments

VANCOUVER - If you’ve been following the media's coverage of the Lower  
Mainland’s drug-fuelled gang wars, you might be forgiven for thinking  
that the only thing Canada trades with Colombia is cocaine.

But with the President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, in Canada this week,  
the real debate is whether a free trade agreement between the  
countries will help fight Colombian drug gangs, or just add legitimacy  
to a government criticized for allowing human rights abuses to go  
unpunished.

A formal free trade agreement between the two countries was signed  
last fall. This spring, the federal government introduced legislation  
to implement the deal, but it is not clear whether opposition  
politicians will let it pass.

According to Statistics Canada, Canada’s (legal) trade with Colombia  
was valued at approximately $640 million in each direction in 2008.  
That’s about 1.5 per cent of Canada’s total international merchandise  
trade.

But the reasons both governments want a free trade agreement have as  
much to do with politics as with economics.

For Uribe and the government of Colombia, it’s about increased  
legitimacy at home and improved alliances abroad.

For the Harper government, it’s part of a commitment to pursue free  
trade wherever practical. Canada is negotiating free trade agreements  
with countries and groups as diverse as the European Union and the  
Dominican Republic.

A free trade agreement with Peru was signed a week after the agreement  
with Colombia. Legislation to implement that treaty is passing through  
Parliament with little opposition.

But when it comes to Colombia, there is plenty of opposition -- from  
organized labour, environmental groups and even the United Church of  
Canada.

The federal NDP and Bloc Québecois are also opposing the deal. The  
federal Liberals have been less clear about their position. As a  
result, they have been targeted by those trying to block the agreement.

In a detailed summary of arguments against the agreement, Canadian  
writer Justin Podur of the alternative media source ZNet argued:

     If Liberals are motivated by "liberal" principles - of human  
rights, free expression and assembly, and equal economic opportunity  
for all - then they should reject the [Canada Colombia Free Trade  
Agreement].

     The Colombian regime violates human rights systematically, and  
for reasons related to free trade agreements. The [Canadian Council  
for International Cooperation] Report, "Making a Bad Situation Worse",  
reports that 46 Colombian unionists were killed in 2008, and 39 in 2007.

     These unionists were assassinated by paramilitaries that are  
organized, trained, and run by the military and have been found to  
work directly for politicians to "cleanse" territories of indigenous  
and peasant populations and worker's unions. These are not speculative  
accusations or claims. The evidence for them has been documented by  
human rights organizations for decades, but in recent years it has  
also come out in courts of law, the Colombian media, and the  
international media.

After one day of debate on May 25, the legislation has disappeared  
from the parliamentary schedule. Apparently, the Conservatives don’t  
want to risk having a vote on the bill until they are sure it would  
pass.

In the meantime, Colombian officials are working to sell the deal.

In advance of the President’s visit, Colombian Foreign Affairs  
Minister Jamie Bermúdez Merizalde visited Ottawa last week, and spoke  
with opposition politicians.

He also spoke with reporter Lee Berthiaume of Embassy newspaper, which  
covers issues involving or of interest to members of Ottawa’s  
diplomatic community.

In the interview, Merizalde acknowledged Colombia’s problems with  
violence, including the murder of unionists. However, he also argued:

     … every inch that we open up to legitimate trade, for legitimate  
investment, for legitimate tourism, et cetera, is an inch that we  
Colombia take away from narco-trafficking and terrorist activities,  
which is a key issue for Colombia, for the region and for the entire  
continent. …

     [In addition, the agreement] is very important for the two  
countries to work together hand-in-hand to improve the human rights  
situation, to improve environmental situation, to improve the labour  
issues, and so on and so forth. So we can work together in improving  
the current situation, which is a serious concern for Colombia, for  
the Colombian government, and I believe for the entire community.

Many of the same themes will likely be covered when President Uribe  
gives a speech Wednesday morning to the International Economic Forum  
of the Americas conference in Montreal.

After the speech, Uribe is expected to travel to Ottawa to meet with  
federal politicians from all parties.

Ready to greet him will be a protest organized by the Canadian Labour  
Congress.

Amelia Bellamy-Royds reports for The Tyee.