Sen. Clinton opposes Colombia, Panama trade deals

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Guardian/Reuters

Sen. Clinton opposes Colombia, Panama trade deals
Reuters Friday November 9 2007
By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton said on Thursday she opposes pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea, but would vote for a pact with Peru.
The New York Democrat has previously said she opposed the South Korean agreement, but had not taken a position on the three Latin American trade pacts.

Her opposition to the Colombia and Panama agreements could make it much harder for the Bush administration to persuade Democrats to vote for those accords, particularly if she holds onto her lead in the race for the Democratic nomination.
(snip)

"I support the trade agreement with Peru. It has very strong labor and environmental protections," Clinton said in a statement. "This agreement makes meaningful progress on advancing workers' rights, and also levels the playing field for American workers."

"However, I will oppose the pending trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama," she said.
"The South Korean agreement does not create a level playing field for American carmakers. I am very concerned about the history of violence against trade unionists in Colombia. And as long as the head of Panama's National Assembly is a fugitive from justice in America, I cannot support that agreement."
(snip)

Edwards recently announced his opposition to all four trade agreements and has pressed Clinton to make her position clear.


Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7062542

[w4rma]

1. Not bad. (nt)

[Judi Lynn]

2. Colombia still Haunted after Massacre

Colombia still Haunted after Massacre

Bogota, Nov 8 (Prensa Latina) A massacre over two decades ago is seeding discord today at the Justice Palace in this capital, between the Colombian government and the top justice authorities.

The presidency rejected statements by the Supreme Court of Justice President Cesar Valencia, who called the action by the military agents then "imprudent, insane and cruel."

The text said it was wrong to compare the attack by the guerrilla group M-19 on the Justice Palace in 1985, which caused 100 deaths and numerous missing people, to the effort made by the military agents to defend and release the hostages.

In a meeting on Tuesday, the anniversary of that incident, Valencia said the action by the military agents was undemocratic with an irrational and unmeasured operation, without taking into account those people's physical integrity.

More:
~~~~ link ~~~~

[antigop]

3. So did she/will she vote for partial privatization of Peru's Social Security system?

Was partial privatization part of the final agreement?

http://thehill.com/business--lobby/critics-of-peru-fta-call-democrats-hypocritical-about-social-security-2007-06-14.html

This link talks about the House version -- what was in the final version?

Critics of a U.S. trade deal with Peru say House Democrats are violating their party’s principle that social security systems should not be privatized by backing a deal that could lock in a partially privatized system in Peru.

In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), several Peruvian labor groups charged the deal would provide protections for Citigroup to sue Peru under the trade agreement’s dispute settlement system if a future Peruvian government were to nationalize the country’s partially privatized retirement system.

As a result, the groups, backed by the advocacy group Public Citizen, say the Peru deal should be rejected or at least changed to ensure that Citigroup, which partially owns a company licensed to participate in the Peru retirement system, could not sue Peru for compensation on its expected future earnings if Peru nationalizes its system.

[antigop]

4. Did Rangel really say, "If you're hurting, it's a bad deal"?

http://www.credoaction.com/sirota/

Rangel On NAFTA Expansion: "If You're Hurting, Then It's A Bad Deal"

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY), the chief architect of the the Peru Free Trade Agreement that expands NAFTA, he appeared on CNN Thursday night. In the midst of congratulating himself for passing the NAFTA expansion through the House this week, he acknowledged that the pact will crush American workers, saying:

"We haven't protected those people that have lost jobs as a result of trade or those people who just don't find industry in their communities...And so if you're hurting, then is a bad deal."

This is stunning, even for Washington. The chief proponent of a bill earlier today was selling this bill on the House floor as a great achievement for the middle class that has been crushed by lobbyist-written trade policies. Then hours later after the votes are already cast, he goes on national television to admit that, actually it is true - the bill "is a bad deal" for workers who are hurting.

[madfloridian]

5. Yes, privatization of Social Security in Peru is locked in.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1620

[Judi Lynn]

6. That's a real tragedy, for real. My god. Hoping the people of Peru will move against this A.S.A.P.

Truly depressing.

How could Peru agree to something this dirty?

You have to take their current president into account, who damned near destroyed Peru's government when he held office before.



Alan Garcia.
Privatized Social Security makes him warm all over.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Labor urges no vote on Colombia trade deal in '08

Labor urges no vote on Colombia trade deal in '08
Fri Nov 9, 2007 12:13pm EST
By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congress should wait at least one year before voting on a free trade agreement with Colombia because of continuing violence in that country against trade unionists, the largest U.S. labor group said on Friday.

"In sum, the Colombian government needs to make considerable changes to fully address our concerns. This will no doubt take some time, and it appears to us highly unlikely that all of the needed changes can happen in the next 12 months," John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO labor federation, said in a letter to members of Congress.

The letter was another blow to Bush administration hopes of persuading Congress to approve the pact next year.

On Thursday, Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton announced she opposed the Colombia trade deal, joining an election rival, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who also has come out against the pact.
(snip/...)

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN0934950220071109

[Judi Lynn]

8. Colombia blasts Clinton opposition to trade pact

Colombia blasts Clinton opposition to trade pact
Fri Nov 9, 2007 4:48pm EST

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Friday called Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton's opposition to a U.S. free-trade deal with Colombia an "unforgivable" misunderstanding of his country.

Uribe has lobbied hard to show his government deserves a free-trade deal for curbing violence from a 4-decade-old conflict, but Clinton joined other Democrats in citing the continued killings of labor leaders for rejecting a deal.

"This is very serious, very serious, it's an unforgivable misunderstanding of Colombia," Uribe told reporters in Chile where he was participating in a regional summit.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a free-trade agreement for Peru, but Colombia's deal is in doubt as Democrats question Uribe's record in reducing attacks on labor leaders and bringing their killers to justice.

Clinton, a New York Democrat, said on Thursday she opposed pending free-trade deals with Colombia, Panama and South Korea, noting, "I am very concerned about the history of violence against trade unionists in Colombia."

More:
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN0937178720071109?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews