Honduras Ratifies CAFTA

[arcos]

Honduras Ratifies CAFTA

Honduras on Thursday became the second Latin American (sic) country after El Salvador to ratify a free trade agreement with the United States.

<snip>

The initiative was approved by 100 of 128 legislators, its strongest support coming from the ruling National Party and the opposition Liberal party.

Lawmakers immediately fled Congress following their decision, however, to avoid 1,000 government employees who were protesting the measure outside. The demonstrators later entered the building, breaking windows and chairs and occupying the legislators' abandoned seats as left-leaning lawmakers delivered anti-CAFTA speeches.

<snip>

Both producers in the United States and Central America fear they would be hurt by the deal, however. Opposition from the sugar and textile industry in the United States have guaranteed that the measure, backed strongly by U.S. President George W. Bush, is in for a tough ride in the U.S. Congress.

<snip>

http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2005/03/03/ap1862204.html

[arcos]

1. kick...

I know people here don't pay much attention to threads with foreign countries in the title, but this is important since it affects US jobs too.

[Igel]

2. Why the "sic"? n/t

[arcos]

5. Because CAFTA is only for Central America, not Latin America...

Plus, Mexico and Chile also have free trade agreements with the US, so that makes El Salvador 3rd and Honduras 4th.

[Igel]

9. The nomenclature's all

messed up between languages. Too many gaps and loopholes.

Tx.

[arcos]

12. Here in Costa Rica it is just called "TLC"...

Tratado de Libre Comercio = Free Trade Agreement

But it is also called just "CAFTA" too.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. Bribed lawmakers approved it and then ducked and covered

[arcos]

6. I could also bet that several of them have some kind of business interest

Or at the very least, some of the big party leaders do. They don't even need to be bribed, the fact that their political careers may be over if they don't toe the party line is enough of a threat.

[SoCalDem]

10. So.. THEY hate it...WE hate it..

:shrug:

[sadiesworld]

11. We MUST pay attention to this issue...

you KNOW they are going to try to push this through on the sly in DC. :mad:

[arcos]

13. yeah... Lou Dobbs was calling it "the secret trade agreement"... nt

[MichiganVote]

4. There go the jobs...again.

[arcos]

7. kick nt

[Swamp Rat]

8. ¡Huey puta!

:wow:

[sadiesworld]

14. .