Peru - strike against Free Trade Agreement announced
Peru - Strike Against Free Trade Agreement Announced
13/12/2005
The president of the National Agrarian Confederation (CNA), Antolin Huascar Flores, announced a national strike against a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States.
"Only grapes, asparagus and some textile is going to benefit, and the other Andean products will not. Because of this, we are preparing for a nationwide agricultural strike," said the leader of the CNA.
Huascar Flores pointed out that with the FTA Peru will be converted into a cheap labor country and evolve from being producers into being consumers. "The farmers who are now producing coca, potatoes, barley, corn, etceteras, will vanish," he declared.
About the announcement of the Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Alfredo Ferrero, that safeguards will be implemented for the producers who will be affected, Huascar Flores said that these words are not very credible. "The government
Ante el anunció del ministro de Comercio Exterior y Turismo, Alfredo Ferrero, de aplicar salvaguardas a los productores que se vean afectados, el titular del CNA señaló que tales palabras son poco creíbles. "The government committed itself to paying the cotton growers and they simply don’t do it. With which money are they going to pay for the products that are affected by this FTA?" he commented.
(PULSAR/CNR)
