Slaughter Says Columbia FTA Includes Worst Parts of NAFTA & CAFTA
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter today joined five other House members in filing a notice stating their “serious concerns” with the Columbia Free Trade Agreement, which she noted is a deal left over from 2006 during the Bush Administration. Slaughter said that many of the elements of the NAFTA and CAFTA deal are repeated in the Columbia FTA and that until changes are made the White House should not move the deal forward. Slaughter noted that Columbia has a history of assassinations of labor unionists, indigenous and Afro-Colombian leaders, journalists and others.
The Colombian government must lawfully prosecute the vast list of individuals and groups accused of past labor, and other civic leader assassinations thus ending the reign of impunity still prevalent in today, said the letter from Slaughter. In the past, Rep. Slaughter has raised questions with the trade agenda as set forward by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk.
A full copy of Slaughter’s letter can be found on her website atwww.louise.house.gov
###
United States House of Representatives
312 The Capitol • Washington, DC20515
