MEDIA REACTION: "CAFTA" AETN Program with Barbara

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E.O. 12958: N/A
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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: "CAFTA" AETN Program with Barbara
Bowie Whitman


1. January 16 "La Tribuna," Liberal Party Tegucigalpa-based
daily, carried an article on CAFTA with the headline "U.S.
proposes to reinforce security at Central American Ports".


2. "Tiempo," San Pedro Sula-based liberal paper owned by
businessman and congressional deputy Jaime Rosenthal,
carried a half-page story: "In CAFTA the U.S. goal is
lowering subsides in 15 years."


3. "El Heraldo," moderate Tegucigalpa-based daily, carried a
half-page article entitled "U.S. won't eliminate all
agricultural subsidies." The story focused on the U.S. call
for a worldwide reduction in subsidies".


4. National TV and radio news programs gave full coverage to
the CAFTA program. Nation-wide radio station Radio America
did a live transmission and retransmitted the entire program
on its nightly news.


6. An editorial in "La Tribuna," 1/12/03, was entitled:
"Inch by Inch" "Representatives and Negotiators from the
Honduran Council for Private Enterprise said that Honduras
is not prepared for CAFTA. On the other hand the Costa Rican
and El Salvadoran economies are well poised to take
advantage of CAFTA."

"As for Honduras and Nicaragua, their agricultural sectors
are more sensitive than countries with economies that have a
more developed economic system. Does the negotiation team
have the necessary qualified people who can meet the
challenges of CAFTA? And prior to beginning negotiations,
has the government consulted with the other sectors to
present a consensus position at the negotiation table? From
here, it looks as if no one is in a hurry to workout a
national position on this important issue that will
determine our economic and commercial future."

"The fact is, we are lagging behind the process waiting
until someone else raises an issue or take action. We
remember that during the NAFTA negotiations with Mexico and
the Dominican Republic (sic),while other countries were
taking strong positions and fighting over every inch, here
everything was off the rails.


7. Editorial in "El Heraldo" 1/12/03 entitled: "Honduras and
the Free Trade Agreement with the U.S."- "Since the Summit
meeting in 1994, the process for toward an FTAA has moved
forward silently, but unceasingly. Honduras along with other
countries has been involved in this process. But it is clear
that Honduras and Nicaragua are the two countries in the
region with the weakest economies when you compare them to
Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica."

"But we are still have time to recover, if we are able to
strengthen the fragile economic bases, diversify and make
the economy more efficient, and emphasize our competitive
advantages -labor and nearness to U.S. Atlantic ports. But
these factors are not enough; we need a united position
among government, the private sector and labor."

"It is necessary to eliminate corruption, end the delays in
legal procedures, offer legal and physical security, create
new dynamic opportunities, improve infrastructure, and train
the negotiation team. And only if we forgo both national and
special interest concerns can we hope to succeed within the
regional block. Otherwise we will be condemned to be just a
small consumer of foreign products and services."

Palmer