arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

PEOPLE'S DECLARATION AGAINST FREE TRADE

Based on our experience and work, the undersigned organizations emphatically reject existing agreements on trade and investment as well as those which are in the process of being negotiated such as the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas), CAFTA (US-Central America Free Trade Agreement) and the PPP (Plan Puebla Panama). These agreements do not generate sustainable development or create better jobs. On the contrary, they increase public debt; threaten our historic, cultural and natural wealth; and destroy national sovereignty and food security. These free trade agreements undermine our people's struggle for a democratic culture that promotes justice and equality.

The free trade treaties and the PPP are agreements that form part of the hemispheric agenda of the United States government. The FTAA is one of the hegemonic objectives of this agenda and is accompanied by a heavy political -military component. The trade agreements serve as the mechanism through which national legal frameworks are modified, subordinating national legislation to the interests of transnational capital and eliminating any possibility to regulate foreign investment.

This exclusionary model promotes the privatization of public services, including water, health, social security, education, electricity and telecommunications. In Mesoamerica, the PPP advances the establishment of the FTAA by facilitating multinational corporate investment and providing the infrastructure and legal basis for the continued exploitation of our resources.

The FTAA and CAFTA, if implemented, would reaffirm and deepen the direction which existing trade agreements have set, including: free access for foreign corporations to government contracts and bidding; prohibitions on our national states which impede application of capital controls, enabling corporations to sue a State in secret international tribunals for perceived profit loss due to established State regulations; and the protection of intellectual property rights and patent regimes.

The FTAA and CAFTA, if implemented, would promote a liberalized energy policy (controlled by transnational corporations which generate, transmit and distribute energy,) a continental water market and a profit driven agro-business system that produces genetically modified food under the control of corporate interests in the United States. The FTAA would also promote the liberalization of strategic activities that until now have been state controlled, such as: petroleum, natural gas, water resources, forest reserves and biodiversity, which represent attractive niches for foreign, private investment.

The winners in the CAFTA, FTAA and PPP are transnational corporations and their intermediaries at the national level. The effects would be the commodification of public services essential for life, the sale of natural resources, increasingly precarious working conditions, higher unemployment and deteriorating health† as a result of genetically modified food consumption.

In addition to these effects, these proposals are effectively supported by active counterinsurgency projects. We issue a special call to adopt a firm and aggressive stance against the remilitarization of the region promoted by the government of the United States with the collaboration of the respective Central American governments.

For these reasons, the undersigned organizations express our fierce opposition to the FTAA, CAFTA, PPP project because of the damage and negative impact that it will have on the human rights of the people of Central America. It is important to underscore the lack of opportunity the countries of Central America have had to exercise their right to self-determination and the construction of a different Central America. We also emphasize the particular nature of the impact of these processes on socially vulnerable sectors such as women, youth and children.

In response, we demand:

Stop the privatization of public services underway in Central America and the United States and reverse those which have already been completed.

Resolve the enormous problems that affect our countries rather than waiting for concessions and advantages conferred by others. Instead of solving the problems of inequality, poverty, production crisis and low level of competitiveness, these practices exacerbate and accentuate social exclusion in which women, youth and children are the principally affected sectors.

Place the interests of the people of Central America and the United States before the interests of transnational corporations and national economic elites by defining national projects and development plans with the participation of everyone.

Radically transform the structure of land tenure and use through agrarian reform. Protect and promote decent conditions for access to production inputs, markets and solidarity with and among the true producers of national wealth.

Abandon compliance with neoliberal policies from Washington and advance Central American and U.S opposition to the FTAA, CAFTA and PPP.

Demand payment of the ecological debt and reject payment of the external debt as an instrument of economic and financial power that is used to maintain the current model of dependency and resource extraction.

Create national conditions for public debate on the negative impacts of the FTAA, CAFTA and PPP with the Ministers of Economy, Commerce, and Trade.

Eliminate the presence of U.S. troops in the region and reject any attempt to remilitarize our societies, as well as all forms of military or diplomatic aggression on the part of the United States. We demand that our countries not be used for military purposes or to invade others. Of particular concern is the case of Plan Colombia.

Deepen the conversations regarding migration. Authorities should provide immediate attention to those affected by this crisis.

Resolve immediately the demands of indigenous people for land, justice and dignity. Respect the rights of indigenous peoples, ratify and apply Convention 169 of the ILO.

NO FTAA, CAFTA AND PPP
ANOTHER AMERICA IS POSSIBLE

Signed:
ACERCA - Action for Community and Ecology in the Regions of Central America, a Project of ASEJ, USA
Asociación De Trabajadores Del Campo. Nicaragua
Bloque Popular Centroamericano (Central American Popular Block)
Campaign for Labor Rights, USA
Centro de Estudios Internacionales (CEI) de Nicaragua (Center for International Studies), Nicaragua
CESTA-Amigos De La Tierra, El Salvador
CEIBA, Guatemala
CISPES - Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, USA
COECO/CEIBA-Amigos De La Tierra, Costa Rica
Convergencia De Movimientos De Los Pueblos De Las Américas. COMPA, Honduras
Coordinadora Nacional Indígena Y Campesina De Guatemala
COMPALCIHT: Tipitapa Municipal Coordinator for Sister City Projects, Nicaragua
CRIPDES, part of the Civil Society Forum, El Salvador
Dos Pueblos: The New York - Tipitapa Sister City Project, USA
EPICA - Ecumenical Project on Central America, USA
Eugene CISCAP-Committee in Solidarity with the Central American People, USA
Federación De Asociaciones Cooperativas Pesqueras Artesanales De El Salvador
FESTRASPES - Federacion Salvadoreño de Trabajadores Publicos de El Salvador, El Salvador
Grassroots International, USA
Guatemala Human Rights Commission, USA
HonduraSol - A Project of Nonviolence International, USA
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Massachusetts Chapter, USA
LASC - Latin America Solidarity Coalition, USA
Marin Interfaith Task Force on Central America, USA
Mesa Global, Guatemala
Mujeres Y Economía De El Salvador: REMTE, El Salvador
Nicaragua Network, USA
NISGUA - Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala, USA
Plataforma Nacional de Lucha Contra el ALCA, PPP y CAFTA / COMPA, Costa Rica
Quest for Peace / Quixote Center, USA
Red Nacional de Consumidores (National Network of Consumers), Nicaragua
SHARE Foundation: Building a New El Salvador Today, USA
SINTI TECHAN Citizen's Action Network on Commerce and Investment, El Salvador
SUTTEL - Telecommunication Workers' Union of El Salvador
United for a Fair Economy, USA
U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities, USA
Witness for Peace, USA

ACT UP East Bay, Oakland, CA, USA
ANDHISSS (Associación Nacional de Derechohabientes del Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social), El Salvador
Baltimore Action for Justice in the Americas, USA
Benedictine Sisters, Joplin, MO, USA
Binghamton - El Charcón (El Salvador) Sister City Project, USA
Boston Global Action Network FTAA Task Force, USA
Cambridge El Salvador Sister Project, USA
Canadian Federation of Students - Quebec Component, Canada
CDC (Centro para la Defensa del Consumidor), El Salvador
Centro de Asistencia Legal a Pueblos Indigenas, Nicaragua
Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, USA
CIS-DC Zapatistas, USA
CISPES Albany, NY, USA
CISPES Austin, TX, USA
CISPES Boston, MA, USA
CISPES Los Angeles, CA, USA
CISPES New York, NY, USA
CISPES Olympia, WA, USA
CISPES San Francisco, CA, USA
CISPES Seattle, WA, USA
CISPES Washington, DC, USA
Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras, USA
Coalition of Immokalee Workers, USA
Committee for a New Colombia, USA
Community Action for Justice in the Americas (CAJA), USA
Cuba Education Tours and Books Collective, Canada
The Development GAP, USA
Las Dignas, El Salvador
Ecotourism Watch, Germany
Eastern Townships Social Justice Committee, Quebec, Canada
Federacion Nacional de Sindicatos Textil, Vestuario, Nicaragua
Foro de la Sociedad Civil, El Salvador
Fundación Nejapa, El Salvador
FUNDASPAD (Fundación Salvadoreño para la Paz y el Desarrollo), El Salvador
Global Exchange, USA
Global Impact, USA
Guatemalans and friends of Gautemala in Northern California, USA
Greater Kansas City Fair Trade Coalition, USA
Grupo Quetzal, USA
Hitec Aztec Communications, USA
Indigenous Tourism Rights International, USA
InterAlianza, USA
International Labor Rights Fund, USA
L@s Nadies, Costa Rica
The Latin America/Caribbean Committee of the Loretto Community, USA
Latin America Task Force of Catholics for Justice (Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph), USA
MAM (Movimiento de Mujeres "Mélida Anaya Montes"), El Salvador
Mexico Solidarity Network, USA
Missoula Jubilee Network, USA
Native Forest Network, USA
Nicaragua Center for Community Action, USA
Nicaragua Partnership of Ascension Lutheran Church, USA
Palmyra Church of the Brethren, USA
Peace and Justice Ministries, Penn Central UCC, USA
Portland Central America Solidarity Committee, USA
Power, USA
Prescott Food Not Bombs, USA
Project South: Institute for the Elimination of Poverty and Genocide, USA
Rights Action, USA
Rochester Comm. on Latin America, USA
Romero Interfaith Center, Philadelphia - Las Anonas Sister Cities, U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities Network, USA
San Francisco Labor Council, USA
SIES (Sindicato de la Industria Eléctrica de El Salvador, El Salvador
Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, USA
Sisters of the Holy Names Justice and Peace Committee, N.Y Province, USA
Sisters of Mercy, USA
SITEAIES (Sind. de Trabajadores por Establecimiento del Aeropuerto Internacional de El Salv.), El Salvador
SITRAFOSVI (Sindicato de los Trabajadores de la Fondo Social para la Vivienda), El Salvador
SITRASALUD (Sindicato de Trabajadores de Salud), El Salvador
The Social Justice Committee (Canada)
SosteNica - the Sustainable Development Fund of Nicaragua, USA
STISSS (Sindicato de Trabajadores del Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social), El Salvador
STSEL (Sindicato de Industria de los Trabajadores del Sector Eléctrico), El Salvador
TecNica, USA
Toledo Area Committee on Central America, USA
Tropico Verde Environmental Organization, Guatemala
Unitarian Universalist Central America Network (UUCAN), USA
United for a Fair Economy, USA
University of Dayton, OH-Pax Christi, USA
Veterans for Peace-Colville, USA
WI Mfd Homeowners Association, Inc, USA
Wisconsin Fair Trade Campaign, USA

+ hundreds of individuals