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Honduras Ratifies CAFTA
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Chavez
Warns of Possible Oil Supply Cut
if US Attacks Venezuela
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into MERCOSUR
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Honduras Ratifies CAFTA
Honduras on Thursday became the
second Latin American country after El Salvador to ratify a free trade
agreement with the United States.
"It was a decision that took a while in Congress, but it brings Honduras
into the global economy," congressional vice president Emil Hawit said
after the vote.
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.
Wide scale opposition protests in neighboring Guatemala prompted the
congress on Wednesday to delay CAFTA deliberations for a week, although
a congressional commission was expected to give the plan its preliminary
approval.
The United States signed the deal last May with Guatemala, El Salvador,
Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. The Dominican Republic signed
later. Each country's legislative branch must ratify the deal before it
can go into effect.
The measure would give U.S. manufacturers and farmers increased access
to Central American markets while encouraging greater U.S. imports of
Central American textiles and sugar.
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.
Central American opponents to CAFTA say the deal will make their
countries more dependent on the United States and hurt local producers.
El Salvador was the first Latin American country to ratify the pact in
December, despite widespread opposition in that nation as well.
Legislators in Nicaragua currently are considering the measure for
ratification. It has not yet been submitted to lawmakers in Costa Rica
and the Dominican Republic.
"This agreement will only bring hunger and dependency to Honduras," said
Salvador Zuniga, of the Committee of Indigenous Organizations, a private
group that claims to have a membership of 500,000.
Zuniga said the organization was rallying union members, teachers and
students to wage massive protests against the pact in the country's
principal cities.
The president of Honduras' Private Business Council, Jose Maria Agurcia,
congratulated the legislators, however, saying their vote showed they
were looking out for "the future and the country's progress."
President Ricardo Maduro, who presented the initiative to Congress in
January, told a news conference later Thursday that "the deal with the
United States represents a 2 percent growth in the Honduran economy over
the next two years."
"I am happy and proud to establish the foundations for my nation's
progress."
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