FTA ratified in Guatemala in exchange for impunity
Sábado 12 de Marzo 2005 http://chiapas.mediosindependientes.org/10th of March 2005.
After three days of protest and repression of protesters by the national civil police, the Guatemalan Congress ratified the "Dominincan Republic and Central America / USA Free Frade Agreement", thereby ignoring demands from various social and popular organisations to put the decision to a referendum.
To this date, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have ratified the trade agreement, while Costa Rica, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and the USA have not, and opposition to the agreement is growing in those countries.
A few days ago, it transpired in local press that the FRG and UNE political parties had offered their votes in favour of the agreement in exchange for impunity for their leaders.
For example, the secretary general of the FRG, Efrain Rios Montt and the presidencial canditate for the UNE, Alvaro Colom who are involved in criminal prosecutions. An extreme attitude change of the UNE was noted, who on Wednesday 9th of March were absent from the Congress so as not to ratify the Agreement, but on Thursday they proposed that it should be approved as a matter of national urgency.
Yesterday, 11th of March, in the afternoon, students from the San Carlos University held a peaceful protest in front of the US Embassy. Leaders of social movements continue to call on society in general for a national strike on Monday next, the 14th of March.
tlc 2005 | tlc | www.agp.org