From the Americas Policy Program
Dear friends and colleagues,
The people of Costa Rica are doing what no other country has been able to do so far—they are actually voting on a U.S. free trade agreement on Oct. 7. The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) would profoundly alter the structure of their society and their future. The Americas Policy Program has been analyzing CAFTA in Costa Rica since we formed a partnership with representatives of the NO movement at a meeting in Teotihuacan exactly a year ago. Since then, we’ve seen that their efforts have tremendous implications for the rest of the world.
In this latest packet of articles we include one I wrote on recent events in Costa Rica and what the nation stands to lose under CAFTA (a lot), an article by Americas analyst Umberto Mazzei on what Costa Rica would gain (very little), and another by Maria Eugenia Trejos on the impact of the agreement.
According to polls, if the U.S. public were permitted to vote on its country’s trade policy we would have no more Free Trade Agreements. Instead, we have four new FTAs before Congress today—Peru, Panama, Colombia and South Korea. Following the Costa Rican example of an informed citizenry participating in public policy, we have launched a MORATORIUM ON FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS campaign.
To sign on, click here.
Laura Carlsen