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Colombia

Colombia: Two more trade unionists assassinated
25-Jun-2008 Scoop
Less than one week after the latest ITUC protest to President Uribe about the violence and repression against trade unions in Colombia, two more trade unionists have been murdered.
Wrangling over Colombia trade deal continues
25-Jun-2008 Embassy Magazine
A sharply divided Commons’ trade committee has taken a hard line on the Canada-Colombia free trade pact, but supports an eventual agreement.
EFTA and Colombia conclude free trade negotiations
16-Jun-2008 EFTA Secretariat
The EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) and Colombia on 12 June 2008 finalized negotiations on a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Building its ties to Colombia: Canada’s imperial adventure in the Andes
15-Jun-2008 The Bullet
The United States and Canada have chosen to promote Colombia as an aggressive and heavily militarized bulwark against anti-imperialism in the region — an Israel of the Andes.
Canada-Colombia FTA: When democracy gets in the way, just sign it, eh?
14-Jun-2008 ZNet
Many Canadians may never know the difficulties of people resisting the military imposition of an economic model that is ultimately intended for the entire planet, or for ’our Mother Earth’ as the indigenous peoples in Cauca call it. Many Canadians may not know the extent to which they are kept in the dark through the entrenched telling and retelling of the "Canada the good" mythology. It’s time to wake up, eh?
Disaster in the making: Canada concludes its Free Trade Agreement with Colombia
12-Jun-2008 New Socialist
What’s the monetary value of a Colombian trade unionist’s life? As it turns out, it depends on how many are killed in a given year since the potential fines the Colombian government will have to pay as penalty under its free trade agreement (FTA) with Canada whenever a union activist is killed is capped at $15 million. If this sounds like a sick joke I apologize, but this is in effect what the Canadian government actually negotiated.
Canadian opposition slams Colombia free trade deal
10-Jun-2008 Reuters
Canadian opposition legislators on Monday strongly criticized Ottawa for agreeing to the terms of a free trade deal with Colombia, suggesting it had only done so because the move would help US President George W. Bush.
Canada concludes Colombia free trade talks
9-Jun-2008 Reuters
Canada said on Saturday it had wrapped up free trade negotiations with Colombia and reached agreement on related labor and environmental issues, but the deal could raise criticism from opposition lawmakers concerned about the Andean country’s human rights record.
Building its ties to Colombia: Canada’s imperial adventure in the Andes
30-May-2008 Political Affairs Magazine
On May 5th, 2008 Canada’s Trade Minister, David Emerson, proudly declared that Canada is "very close" to concluding free trade negotiations with Colombia. Canada’s push into Colombia is part of its broader interest and growing economic influence in Latin America going back to the 1990s.
Bush pushes Congress for trade deal
24-May-2008
A concrete mixer. Crates of cauliflower. A Harley-Davidson. Chunks of cheese. President Bush used a White House lawn stacked with props yesterday to press Congress to approve free-trade pacts with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea.
Amid trade talks, MPs visit Colombia’s refugees
13-May-2008
A group of Canadian MPs travelled to Colombia Monday to get a first-hand look at one of the hemisphere’s most volatile countries before Ottawa finalizes a free trade deal with its government.
Canada’s unwitting role in Colombia
13-May-2008
Parliament is currently debating whether to approve the still-undisclosed text of a future free-trade agreement with Colombia. Canada’s expected gains are increased access for agricultural and mining goods, plus better legal protection for Canadian companies investing in Colombia. Colombian gains are rather small, however - concentrated on flowers and textiles, since 80 per cent of what is sold to Canada already enters free of duty.
World Bank urges US to pass Colombia trade deal
9-May-2008 Reuters
The US Congress should pass the Colombian free trade agreement to help the Andean country reform and strengthen its economy and improve its democratic institutions, the World Bank said on Thursday.
Canada seeks Colombia agreement, as US deal stalls
6-May-2008
Canada’s Trade Minister David Emerson said he may soon complete a free trade agreement with Colombia, rejecting a plan by U.S. congressional Democrats to wait until the Latin American nation improves its human rights record.
Canada says close to trade deal with Colombia
6-May-2008 Reuters
Canada is "very close" to concluding free trade negotiations with Colombia, Trade Minister David Emerson said on Monday, calling those opposed to the deal on human rights grounds as "dogmatic." Emerson also presented legislation to Parliament to enact a free trade pact with the European Free Trade Association, comprised of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
The labor movement’s principled position on Colombia FTA
1-May-2008 Huffington Post
Lately, the US labor movement has been accused of "lying" about the violence confronting unionists in Colombia. The accusers’ argument is that "only" 39 unionists were killed last year in Colombia. Commentators who use "only" and "merely" to describe 39 murders do not value the sanctity of human life. In addition, they ignore the fact that, even while union killings declined in 2007, the Colombian military’s share of such killings actually rose.
A temporary victory: Colombian unions campaign against FTA
21-Apr-2008 Workers World
The postponement of a vote in the US Congress is just a temporary victory for Colombian workers, due primarily to the hard work of many Colombian trade unionists who have risked their lives visiting the United States to expose the crimes and violence against union leaders in their country.
Colombian gov’t infiltrated by ’paras’-witness
20-Apr-2008 Reuters
The allegation could increase resistance in Washington to a US-Colombia free trade deal, blocked by House of Representatives Democrats concerned that Uribe is not doing enough to protect labor union members who are often targeted by the paramilitaries.
Industry group urges Congress to unfreeze Colombia trade agreement
16-Apr-2008 Market Wire
The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) called on Congressional leaders to approve the trade pact claiming considerable progress in Colombian government efforts to protect trade unionists.
Rights groups applaud trade deal’s tabling
15-Apr-2008 One World US
Long-time US critics of corporate-friendly free trade agreements are applauding House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi for effectively putting the brakes on a deal with the South American nation of Colombia.