From: NY Transfer News <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 06:39:24 -0500 (EST) To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (NY Transfer News) Subject: [CubaNews] Fidel Warns the Summit What the FTAA Really Means Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Fidel Tells the Summit What's to Come... source - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Castro Warns on Americas Trade Plan By FABIOLA SANCHEZ (c) The Associated Press PORLAMAR, Venezuela, Dec 13 (AP) - After signing a summit declaration that supports a U.S.-sponsored Free Trade Area of the Americas, Cuban President Fidel Castro warned that the proposed treaty could lead to U.S. domination of Latin America. "There is a plot to impose by economic force ... not only an economic, but a global political order," Castro said after Wednesday's conclusion of the Association of Caribbean States summit. "One day, all of our countries - excepting Cuba because (Washington), luckily, doesn't want it - could be involved in a large deal in which everyone is compromised" by developed nations' might, Castro said. Cuba, which has faced four decades of U.S. economic sanctions imposed because of its communist rule, is excluded from negotiations to establish the free trade zone from Alaska to Argentina in 2005. An ACS declaration signed by Castro expresses support for the FTAA - as long as developed nations' barriers to products such as agricultural and textile imports from developing nations are eliminated. That would provide impoverished Latin nations a better chance to compete. But Castro later said millions of Latin Americans are heading for "a destination they know nothing about." Accusing leaders of keeping details on treaty negotiations secret, he urged the region's governments to educate their citizens about the deal. U.S. workers know more about FTAA than their Latin counterparts because thousands of them lost jobs to cheaper Mexican labor when the North American Free Trade Agreement was enacted, Castro said. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez supported Castro's criticism. He suggested that the region consider an alternative. And he pledged to put any FTAA to a popular vote in Venezuela. Another dissenting voice was Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo, who said his government wouldn't sign a deal without "preferential and distinguishing treatment" for Latin and Caribbean economies. "If these conditions don't meet with our satisfaction ... we simply will be ignored," Jagdeo said. During the two-day summit on Margarita Island, Caribbean leaders called for FTAA negotiations to end by January 2005 and the free trade zone be opened by December 2005. They denounced the U.S. economic sanctions against Cuba, but pledged their continuing support for the fight against terrorism. They also vowed to jointly promote Caribbean tourism, a vital industry that has suffered since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. AP-NY-12-13-01 0620EST [In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information see: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ================================================================= _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
