MEDIA REACTION ON CAFTA, JUNE 8, 2004

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001308

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR WHA/PD; IIP/G/WHA DIPASQUALE; AND IIP/T/ES
DEPT. FOR EB/TPP DCLUNE AND WHA/CEN
DEPT. PASS USTR FOR JWOLFE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KPAO ETRD HO USTR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON CAFTA, JUNE 8, 2004



1. Op-ed by Ramon Villeda Bermudez (current member of the
Foreign Affairs Committee in Congress and former Liberal
Party presidential candidate) in Tegucigalpa-based liberal
daily "La Tribuna" on 6/5 entitled "Two lies in three
letters." "Representatives of several unions from Central
America and the Dominican Republic met in San Jose, Costa
Rica to study what in Spanish is known as the TLC, or CAFTA
in English. The first contradiction they found is in regard
to the words used in the official text of the agreement,
since the Spanish version refers to it as a `treaty' and the
English as an `agreement'."

"This difference is crucial. A treaty is a compulsory pact
for all parties, but an agreement it's much less complex,
and if CAFTA is a fast-track agreement, it would be in
effect immediately. Thus, it wouldn't have to go through
the long process of ratification by Congresses, which may
also be used to avoid changes to the final text. That's why
both documents should use the same wording, because if it
remains as it is, it could produce different obligations
that any party could use for its own benefit."

"Although the governments have kept in secret the last-
minute changes they made, ignoring the small entrepreneurs,
members of Congress and unions, there are several elements
that have aggravated our skepticism on what they've done."

"It's been said that TLC are three letters that contain two
lies: it's not a treaty (it's an agreement) and it isn't
about free trade either, it's about free investment."

"The unions have also concluded that there are two strange
and hidden commitments that shouldn't be part of CAFTA: the
protection of intellectual property and patents. The
irresponsibility of including those provisions in CAFTA has
been possible because only the government and some
privileged businessmen have participated in the
negotiations."

"If we're actually talking about a treaty, it'll eventually
come to Congress, and the government will have to spend the
remainder of 2004 trying to convince all Hondurans on
CAFTA's benefits, especially those of us who have serious
doubts about it."

Palmer