Trade deal ignites Colombia House
Trade Deal Ignites Colombia House
Bogota, Jan 9 2007 (Prensa Latina) — The approval of the free trade agreement between Colombia and the US is expected to generate hot congressional debates, due to its rejection by businesspeople, farmers, and some congress people.
Late last year, Minister of Interior and Justice Carlos Holguin informed of the government s decision to convene extraordinary legislative sessions early in February to focus on the free trade agreement and other legal projects.
Lacking the needed majority, the Colombian Executive is looking for the parliamentary votes needed to ratify the agreement.
The Executive is not only worried about the internal opposition, but also because the Democrat majority in the US Congress indicated it will not approve the agreement the way it is written, and announced its intention to renegotiate it.
To win supporters among Colombian legislators, the government affirmed it will compensate businesspeople and producers to be affected with the deal, considered a violation of national sovereignty by many Colombians.
