Pelosi and the Democrats (sounds like a cheesy music group!) have slapped the face of our strongest Latin American ally by refusing to even vote on the Colombian Free Trade Agreement. This from the same group that mewls incessantly about how America needs more friends in the world…
Here’s why you should care. Colombia is a good country in a bad neighborhood. It is the most pro-US country in South America. It enjoys a stellar democratic record and a robust free-market economy. It is also fighting off communist guerillas who finance themselves by trafficking cocaine. It shares borders with Ecuador and Venezuela, who jealously resent Colombia’s political and economic success and lift not a finger to help combat the narco-terrorists.
In contrast, Ecuador is an economic and political basket case that enjoys serially running its presidents out of office. Ex-president Noboa, I think it was, had to be smuggled past a police cordon in the trunk of a car. Just across the Putumayo River, Ecuador’s remote eastern jungle hosts a favored R&R location for Colombian insurgents. A combat weary Colombian narco-terrorist, after a day of killing and kidnapping, can take off his Che Guevara beret and let his greasy hair down while enjoying hotels, bars and brothels that cater to his every need. Of course, the Ecuadorean government illogically claims both ignorance and lack of resources to deal with the issue.
We’re all familiar with Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. He led an unsuccessful coup in 1992, and finally gained the presidency in 1999. He saved his country from the right wing oligarchs and replaced them with left wing oligarchs. Meanwhile, the poor are still poor… He publicly praises the Colombian guerillas and is probably providing material and monetary support to them as well.
Given all of this, the Democrats still have decided to abandon our key ally in that troubled region. Naked partisan political gain is the only apparent motive. Our labor unions are against it, and the Dems need their money and manpower to get out the vote.
Do you really believe there will be a giant sucking sound of jobs leaving the US for Colombia? Those opposed to the Colombia agreement do. This is nonsense, and business and economics people much smarter than me have said so. Colombian imports to this country already enjoy low to no tariffs, while we must still pay tariffs on our exports to the Colombian market. The agreement would remove all tariffs, making our goods cheaper, thus increasing our exports. This has already happened with Central American trade due to a similar agreement signed in 2005. What this agreement does for Colombia is help it attract major investment due to formalized trade ties between our countries. Instability discourages investment in places like Latin America. This agreement provides the stability that investors are looking for.
Colombia’s trade union trouble is the other reason opponents cite to kill the deal. Colombian unions have been the targets of deadly violence. What goes unmentioned is that most unions in that part of the world are hard-core communist organizations funded by people like Chavez. They are not just about good things like workers rights and getting better pay and benefits. They hate capitalism and really do want to bring it all down, man. This puts them at odds with ordinary Colombians, who cherish democracy and free enterprise. Violence against unions has happened, and it is wrong. It has also decreased fourfold under President Uribe, but you won’t be hearing that on the news. Put in proper context, it is still a sad situation, but it is hardly the government slaughter of poor workers that has been sold to us.
Finally, here is how Latin Americans view the situation: Hugo Chavez beat the United States, and Colombia is now all alone. She got in bed with Tio Sam and has nothing but shame to show for it. We just gave every country down there an object lesson in why it is foolish to trust in our friendship. This is how we gain friends in Latin America?
This is a shame bordering on a tragedy. I can remember the good old days when foreign policy and free trade were bipartisan issues. Now, narrow partisan gain trumps all, to our nation’s shame. The tragedy will be shouldered by Colombia, isolated from its neighbors, fighting an insurgency, and looking red-faced and foolish for trusting in the United States of America.
Links to More Information:
Congress hurts Colombia’s economy, strengthens Chavez
National Association of Manufacturers Supports Free Trade
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