MEDIA REACTION ON CAFTA, MARCH 3, 2005

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000483 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR WHA/PD; IIP/G/WHA DIPASQUALE; AND IIP/T/ES DEPT. FOR EB/TPP DCLUNE, WHA/EPSC AND WHA/CEN DEPT. PASS USTR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KPAO ETRD HO USTR SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON CAFTA, MARCH 3, 2005 ¶1. Editorial in San Pedro Sula-based liberal daily "Tiempo" on 3/3, entitled "CAFTA CA-USA." "Congress is about to discuss and approve CAFTA next week, despite the strong opposition of some organizations part of the Popular Block (Bloque Popular),as well as other peasant and civil society organizations." "However, it seems that there are enough votes in Congress to ensure its approval, with the exception of Congressmen of the Democratic Unification Party, after some last-minute negotiations with opposition parties which were carried out, above all, to give the impression that CAFTA has been democratically discussed among various sectors." "For Honduras, the weight of the commitments acquired by participating in this multilateral agreement, as well as the specific interests of the manufacturing sector -especially the maquila's- have practically ensured the approval of CAFTA." "However, its approval should also include the commitment to provide financial and technical assistance to the agricultural sector, to prevent the negative effects that NAFTA has had in some areas in southern Mexico, where they haven't implemented the development programs conceived in the framework of that trade agreement." Palmer