The Quaker Peace Center and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA - TLC)The Costa Rican negotiators finalized the negotiation of the CAFTA text with the United States in January 2004. The majority of Costa Ricans do not know the content of this complicated agreement, negotiated in secret and handled by a small group, and whose final version the representatives of the Legislative Assembly can only approve or reject—without any possibility of modification or democratic discussion.
The most informed sectors of Costa Rican civil society have many worries with regard to the development model used by CAFTA.
One of these worries is related to the impact which the onslaught of highly subsidized US products will have on our country and the effect this will have on the future of our small and medium enterprises which are currently lacking easy access to credit and technology.
Another worry is the market opening which would encourage the arrival of multinational corporations with ties in telecommunications, generation of electricity and insurance due to the harmful impact these corporations would have as they substitute governmental services and social guarantees which have been a recognized Costa Rican tradition.
Social organizations and individuals are starting to debate these and other themes related to the Free Trade Agreement such as food sovereignty, sovereignty of state, environmental impact and labor rights. Many fear that the agreement will pass just as it already has in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, without any possibility of reform.
Within this context, members of the board of The Friends Peace Center, wanting to contribute to the discussions and concerned about the possible conflicts that may arise in this process of discussion of CAFTA, have called members of the Center and friends to form a study group which meets once a week to analyze aspects of concern in the treaty. Furthermore, the Center is actively present in the marches and manifestations that have been held this year: the 1st and 16th of May, the latter organized to express people’s concerns and objections to this treaty and the way it has been negotiated.
