Keep Up the Momentum Against CAFTA!

This alert is prepared with info rmation from CISPES and the Nicaragua Network
Posted August 4, 2004

Congress will be in recess and members will again be in their home districts from July 26th to September 3rd. This is another opportunity to meet with your Representative and Senators about the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). We have been hearing a lot of the same statements from representatives lately - especially related to the delay of the vote in the US Congress and Kerry's possible renegotiation of CAFTA. Below are some talking points that will help you better respond to these issues in lobby meetings with your senators and representatives. It also includes suggestions about what we can be asking sympathetic representatives for right now beyond a commitment to vote against CAFTA.

** Delegation to Guatemala **

STITCH has a Language School Delegation, Nov. 14-21, to Guatemala. The title is "Women, Work, and Trade: Women Organizing for Labor Justice." Check out the flyer on our website: clr@clrlabor.org.

**News Update**

The Dominican Republic is expected to sign on to this Free Trade Agreement today, July 23 rd. The Dominican Republic and the five Central American countries just concluded their own negotiations, in order to modify a current agreement between those partners to take into account the Dominican Republic 's entry into CAFTA. The Central American countries are being encouraged to ratify the agreement in their own national assemblies so as to put pressure on the U.S. Congress. Bush has declared that he will not put CAFTA before Congress before the November elections, but Robert Zoellick, the U.S. Trade Representative, has openly acknowledged the possibility of passing CAFTA during the lame duck congress after the elections. We cannot let this happen! The Stop CAFTA movement has come far; don't let them sneak CAFTA through!

Ministers in Central America have warned that they would be opposed to the renegotiation of CAFTA should Democratic candidate John Kerry win November's presidential election and hold to his promise to improve CAFTA's worker and environmental conditions. While this would be an opportunity to improve some aspects of the actual agreement, there are many reasons why a renegotiation might not be satisfactory. For example, Kerry has not proposed looking into the Intellectual Property rules, which will turn necessary medicines into hard to find commodities after CAFTA. Also, the renegotiation of CAFTA would not address the investor rights which benefit only the transnational companies, doing little for the citizens or the development of these countries.

If you would like more background on CAFTA, go to the web page (www.stopcafta.org) of the Stop CAFTA Coalition, which has worked since March of 2003 in partnership with organizations in Central America to stop this damaging trade agreement.

TALKING POINTS

1. What Congressional Representatives are saying: CAFTA won't be voted on until after the elections, so what's the point in talking about it now?

**Response:

There is always a chance that CAFTA could be voted on before the elections; regardless, it's important to make public statements NOW to show the administration how broad the opposition is.

This is doubly important because the administration is negotiating agreements with other countries in Latin America . Congress needs to send a message that the CAFTA model is not adequate.

While unlikely, Zoellick has been pushing for a possible lame-duck vote. Members must make opposition public now to ensure that a lame-duck vote doesn't happen.

**What to ask your Rep for:

Release a public statement stating firm opposition to CAFTA

2. What Congressional Representatives are saying: The labor and environment provisions are most concerning

**Response:

In fact, labor and environment are just two of many problems with CAFTA. Others are agriculture, privatization and intellectual property. People in Central America and the U.S. reject CAFTA for many reasons, as it is based on a fundamentally flawed model of trade.

Furthermore, the labor and environmental provisions deal solely with enforcement -- the entire agreement is bad for labor and the environment, by giving free range to corporations.

**What to ask your Rep for:

Help organize a Congressional Fact Finding Mission to Central America to research the potential effects of CAFTA beyond labor and environment

3. What Congressional Representatives are saying: CAFTA is indeed flawed, but I'm hoping that Kerry will win and renegotiate a better deal

**Response:

The renegotiated CAFTA that John Kerry is talking about is not at all acceptable. Kerry's record (voting for NAFTA, Chile , Fast-Track) shows that he's not an advocate for "fair" trade, and thus those that oppose CAFTA should push him to go further.

**What to ask your Rep for:

Tell Kerry, as well as other members of Congress, that the problems with CAFTA cannot be solved through renegotiating certain parts of the deal.

4. What Congressional Representatives are saying: I haven't heard much from my constituents about CAFTA; it's not really an issue that people in my district care about

**Response:

You haven't heard anything because the process has been complicated and secretive, without any sort of popular consultation. In fact, people are concerned about issues related to trade (such as off-shoring of jobs, secret tribunals that overturn judicial decisions in the United States, access to generic medicines, etc), but the government and the media have failed to make the connection to CAFTA

**What to ask your Rep for:

Organize a public forum in your district that draws on a variety of social/economic sectors and opinions. Encourage education and dialogue about trade issues.

5. What Congressional Representatives are saying: I'm against CAFTA; what else to you want from me?

**Response:

Its time for Congress to start putting forward alternatives to the Administrations current trade policy. Make opposition to CAFTA an issue by discussing and investigating alternatives.

**What to ask your Rep for:

Become a co-sponsor of the Fair Trade for Our Future Resolution, a proactive piece of legislation that establishes minimum standards for responsible trade policies. To find this document go to: http://citizenstrade.org/resources.php

Support efforts to repeal fast track and/or vote against expansion of fast track when that comes up next year.

6. What Congressional Representatives are saying: Free trade works. I support CAFTA. It is the best thing we can do for Central America .

**Response:

There is tremendous opposition to CAFTA in Central America . We can give you extensive information about the horrific impacts of NAFTA in Mexico , and provide statements against CAFTA from groups in Central America .

**What to ask your Rep for:

Ask them to consider the broad spectrum of evidence concerning the potential impact of the agreement.

If they say no, increase pressure tactics (see CAFTA Lobby Kit at www.stopcafta.org for ideas)

7. What Congressional Representatives are saying: Free trade works. It is time for us to break down barriers for our products in Central America . CAFTA provides opportunities for our farmers and our businesses.

**Response:

The National Family Farm Coalition and National Farmers Union oppose CAFTA. This agreement is a lose/lose proposition for small farmers in Central America and the United States .

**What to ask your Rep for:

Ask them to consider the broad spectrum of evidence concerning the potential impact of the agreement.

If they say no, increase pressure tactics (see CAFTA Lobby Kit at www.stopcafta.org for ideas)