Quest for Peace - CAFTA

Fear and lying in Costa Rica

Sun, 7 Oct 2007 11:29:30 -0400

As we head out to observe the voting on the CAFTA referendum, it seems appropriate to compare the state of democracy in the U.S. with that of Costa Rica. We have only been here a short time, but we've received an intensive course in Costa Rican history and politics. It has become obvious from this instruction that we in the U.S. have much to learn, if we are to prevent the complete dissolution of the few semblances of democracy which remain in our country.

We quickly learned that the referendum campaign has included a permanent and massive campaign of fear mongering from the Costa Rican and U.S. governments and a large segment of the corporate sector here. There are many examples of this operation.

Costa Rican NO to CAFTA Campaign finds a way to Fund the Revolution while Building a Base

Sat, 6 Oct 2007 15:41:32 -0400

By Jessica Walker Beaumont, Alliance for Responsible Trade

October 6, 2007 - the eve before the first ever referendum on a trade agreement

As the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement goes through Congress at a rapid pace with little resistance from the very same Democrats who so adamantly took a stand against the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), I am honored to be in Costa Rica to witness a vivacious grassroots movement likely to stop CAFTA's ratification in tomorrow's referendum. The US movement against CAFTA was not insignificant with a near defeat to the trade pact-passing by just two votes in July 2005. However, the rapid rate at which it dissipated is an indicator that the effort failed to include grassroots groups in shaping a strategy that can be sustained by a broad spectrum of movements.

Costa Rica at a Junction

Sat, 6 Oct 2007 12:06:55 -0400

The scandal that broke yesterday around the funding of the campaign of President Arias provides yet another insight into what is at stake in the referendum on CAFTA. In 1948 major reforms of the constitution created a system that guaranteed free, universal access to basic services; health care, education and social security. Part of this reform includes the notion that access to a decent house, electric and telephone service should be considered basic human rights. A widespread internalizing of these beliefs has preserved this system in the face of permanent efforts by powerful actors to dismantle the structures which are the base of the model.

The Costa Rican Countryside- intense energy!

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 11:50:37 -0400

See Slideshow at the foot of the article!

We headed out of the office at 7am, destination San Carlos, a city about 120 kilometers from San Jose. In addition to giving the delegation a splendid tour, the purpose was to take the latest flyers and stickers to offices there and around the province of Alejuela. By the end of the day we would feel, up close, the energy of popular participation in this David and Goliath struggle.

CAFTA: Costa Rica is buzzing with ‘referendum fever.’

Thu, 4 Oct 2007 17:34:45 -0400

Costa Rica is buzzing with ‘referendum fever.’ It is lit up almost as if there were a presidential election. Because Costa Rica has relatively strong institutions, one of which is the Electoral Tribunal, it is possible to have some idea of which side of this life or death debate has had the most funding. Of the $58,000,000. which has been spent on the campaign only about $4,000,000. has been spent by the people who oppose the referendum. It is known that the U/S/ Embassy has poured generous quantities of money into the campaign for passing of the referendum. (This is increasingly their notion of ‘foreign aid’)

"Just Say No!" ad goes to print!

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:02:58 -0400

On Tuesday, July 31 your ad, signed by hundreds of Americans and dozens of organizations, was published in "The Hill" congressional newspaper. Your voices and contributions sent a wake up call to Congress before they left for the August recess. Just as our pressure helped scuttle Fast Track in June, your voices helped head off passage of these broken agreements in the frantic last week before the August break!

The pending trade agreements with Peru, Panama, Colombia and Korea are just four more NAFTA-style, corporate pacts that will do nothing for American workers or our neighbors in these countries. Last November, U.S voters joined people from around the world in calling for a trade model based on economic justice rather than corporate greed. Last week, Congress heard from you again in the newspaper. Now we hope you will contact them as they return to their districts for the August recess.

JUST SAY NO! to Fast Track

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 07:25:42 -0400

Trade Promotion Authority, better known as Fast Track will expire on June 30^th. Because this power has been so abused by the Bush Administration, Quest for Peace and the Alliance for Responsible Trade have launched a campaign to place a Signature Ad in the New York Times once the request for a renewal of Fast Track has happened. We recently launched a new web site around this campaign. To read more about this campaign and add your signature to this initiative, please go to: http://www.notofasttrack.org/

Final Push Against the Oman FTA

Thu, 6 Jul 2006 10:29:14 -0400

Body:

Action Alert from Global Trade Watch
Next Steps to Defeat the Oman FTA: Take Action and Spread the Word!
--Final House Vote Could Be Next Week

Dear Fair Trade Supporter,

Thank you for taking action to the stop the Oman Free Trade Agreement (OFTA). After passing in the Senate last week, OFTA now advances to a final showdown in the House, most likely the week of July 10th. But because of all of your hard work, and the resulting votes last week, we have a good chance of winning!

Hands put a Ballot in a Box

Wed, 7 Jun 2006 18:27:19 -0400

Nicaraguans place their votes in the ballot boxes

Tell the USTR to STOP Bullying Guatemala!

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 13:21:17 -0400

Body:

Tell U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman to stop harassing Guatemala with unjust additions to CAFTA

April 14th, 2006

While the Guatemalan government has already ratified CAFTA, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Rob Portman continues to demand further changes to Guatemalan law in order to allow the agreement to be implemented. El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua have already given in to U.S. demands, rushing through legislation that will punish the poor even beyond what was originally planned under CAFTA.

CAFTA-DR Augments CentAm Debt

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 10:03:53 -0400

One of the less discussed aspects of CAFTA implementation is the negative impact it will have on debt in Central America. Raul Moreno, an economist at the University of Salvador, working with Carlos Pacheco, formerly with the Centro de Estudios Internacionales in Nicaragua, prepared a study on CAFTA's likely impacts on the debt of countries in the region. The story below covers a press conference that Raul Moreno recently held to discuss the findings from his book. The story is from Prensa Latina, published today.

Stop CAFTA Coalition Declares Intent to Support Resistance in Central America, Monitor CAFTA

Fri, 3 Mar 2006 10:55:11 -0500

WASHINGTON, March 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- As the U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement is implemented today with El Salvador, a coalition of solidarity organizations working with partners in Central America declare their intention to continue the struggle against the flawed accord, and denounced police repression of opposition voices in the region.

Publications on Debt and Trade

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 17:01:55 -0500

For over twenty years, the Quest for Peace has worked with our partner the Institute of John XXIII, the social action agency of the Jesuit-sponsored University of Central America in Managua. This partnership, which began as an emergency aid program during the U.S. sponsored contra war, has grown into a powerful development program addressing rural poverty. The Quest for Peace also works to address policies that negatively impact our development efforts and contribute to the impoverishment of the Americas.

Publications on Debt and Trade

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 16:48:30 -0500

Further Publications on Debt and Trade

"El proceso de la privatización del agua en Nicaragua" by Néstor Avendaño
(PDF, 3.3 Mb)

CAFTA “Progress”

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 11:02:39 -0500

The Bush administration appears ready to move ahead on CAFTA implementation with El Salvadoran president Tony Saca on March 1^st. To get this far the government of El Salvador not only had to sign and ratify CAFTA, but also accede to new demands by the U.S. government concerning restrictions on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) - criminalizing a whole sector of the informal economy dependent on income from sales of copied DVDs and CDs.