Central American Free Trade Agreement

Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is a proposed regional agreement between the U.S. and five Central American countries: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. If passed the CAFTA would undermine workers rights, drive family farmers off their land, and expose communities in Central America and the U.S. to privatization of essential public services like water, electricity, health care and education. The flood of cheap U.S. government-subsidized foods has already driven thousands of family farmers off their lands and into urban slums where the only opportunities are sweatshop jobs, begging and street crime. The agreement would also promote the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The FTAA is currently in the final stages of negotiation which would expand NAFTA to every country in North America, Central America, and South America except Cuba. Members of Congress are avoiding a position on CAFTA before the bill is sent to the floor. Corporate America is pushing Congress to approve CAFTA sometime this summer. The current rules governing trade between the U.S. and Central America will expire this year, and the Bush administration is eager to use this opportunity to pressure the small nations of Central America into accepting painful concessions on agriculture and investment. The challenge for us as citizens is to make sure Congress hears a clear message against CAFTA, because once it lands in Congress’s hand the deal will be considered under rules established by the so-called “Fast Track” system. That means Congress will have only 90 days to consider the agreement, and there will be no opportunities for elected officials to amend or improve the text.

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/ftaa/cafta/update.html.pf