Article: CAFTA hurts

To all of those who wonder if the protests are really having an effect, read the following article. (This news, I should add, will come as a rude wake-up call to the government who has been pouring enormous financial resources into producing and placing pro-CAFTA ads on television. That's gotta hurt!)

Guatemalans Decry CAFTA Deal With U.S.

(Angus Reid Global Scan, April 3.) The perceptions of adults in Guatemala on a commerce agreement have changed dramatically, according to a poll by CID-Gallup. 65 per cent of respondents believe the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) will hurt the country, a 30 per cent increase since December.

In May 2004, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua agreed to the trade deal with the United States. The Dominican Republic followed suit in August. The agreement—which would reduce or eliminate taxes and tariffs on imports—still has to be approved by each country’s legislative branch.

Last month, widespread demonstrations against the deal took place in several cities and towns. On Mar. 10, the Congress of the Republic approved the agreement after a 126-12 vote, but public protests continued. Guatemalan president Óscar Berger sanctioned the deal on Mar. 15.

Labor unions and peasant leaders had called for a nationwide referendum to ratify the agreement.