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Contact information to oppose CAFTA
Call congress:
1-202-224-3121
Contact your state legislators and urge them to re-present us to the U.S. Congress. Locate your state government by
clicking here.
Tell them to say NO to the Central American Free Trade Agreement.
Links for May 9th broadcast on CAFTA
CAFTA: Exporting American Jobs & IndustryAs the President prepares to sign the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), he states in an April 28th press conference, ""We need to continue to open up markets for U.S. products. As you know, there will be a vote for the Central American Free Trade Agreement here, hopefully soon. I'm a strong believer that that's in the interest of American job creators and workers, that we open up those markets."
What markets? How can impoverished people buy U.S. goods and services? The following CIA World Factbook links reveal the financial situation in the CAFTA trade countries:
- Guatemala — Over 75% of the population lives below the poverty line. There won't be much consuming of U.S. goods here.
- Honduras — "One of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere"
- El Salvador — "GDP per capita is roughly half that of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile... With the adoption of the US dollar as its currency, El Salvador has lost control over monetary policy and must concentrate on maintaining a disciplined fiscal policy."
- Nicaragua — "Nicaragua, one of the hemisphere's poorest countries, faces low per capita income, massive unemployment, and huge external debt... Nicaragua qualified in early 2004 for some $4 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative." Half the population lives beneath the poverty line.
- Costa Rica — Fairs better than the rest, the wealthiest of these countries. The only Central American country where citizens are not leaving in search of opportunities.
- Dominican Republic — 1 out of every 4 live in poverty.
Given the impoverished state of most of these counties, who is the CAFTA designed to help? It sure doesn't seem to be the U.S.A.
Agenda 21, Chapter 3: Combatting Poverty
Monday, May 30, 2005