Article: CAFTA protests 2

Today was a wild, difficult, surreal day of tear gas-firing riot police, rock-throwing protestors, angry confrontations, and deafening explosions... intermixed with reggae music and long periods of absolute stillness.

For now, though... an decent article about today's incredible happenings:

Guatemalans Protest U.S. Free-Trade Vote
By Sergio De Leon
The Associated Press

GUATEMALA CITY - Police used tear gas and water cannons to beat back hundreds of demonstrators Wednesday who were trying to prevent Guatemala's Congress from approving a free-trade agreement with the United States.

The large-scale protests have forced Congress to delay plans to hold a vote on the Central American Free Trade Agreement with the United States. Protesters hurled rocks and tried to break through a ring of police barricades set up two blocks from the Legislative Palace.

After many lawmakers were unable to reach the building on Tuesday, the army said it was ready to deploy 500 troops to help maintain order, though the government said it would not immediately use them.

Edwin Ortega, leader of the Union of Labor and People's Action, said the heavy security presence on Wednesday "is a clear signal that they plan to sign the treaty today, independent of the fact that the population categorically rejects it."

President Oscar Berger met with leaders of the opposition movement on Tuesday but they said he rejected their call to put the treaty to a popular vote.

Opponents argue the treaty would hurt local farmers and workers through competition with cheaper imported goods and with powerful foreign companies.

They also oppose a section of the law granting concessions to private companies for infrastructure construction projects, saying it would lead to privatizing public services.

The United States signed the free-trade agreement last May with Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. The Dominican Republic signed later.

President Bush said the accord would open new markets for U.S. goods and services while encouraging economic and democratic reforms in Central America. But he didn't have the votes in Congress to win approval last year because of opposition from U.S. businesses and unions worried about competition from Central America.