June 26, 2009
President Obama We Are Counting on You
President Obama We Are Counting on You to Send the Message to President Alvaro Uribe that the US Demands Protection of Afro-Colombian Human RightsBy Charo Mina Rojas.
Afro-Colombian advocate and activist. Member of AFRODES USA and the Network for Advocacy in Solidarity with Grassroots Afro-Colombian Communities (NASGACC).
http://www.afrocolombians.com/pdfs/ToObama-re-meetingUribe6-29-09.pdf
Human Rights Organizations exhort President Obama to Send a Unequivocal Message on Human Righst to President Uribe
While meeting with Colombian President Uribe this Monday, June 29, the Human Rights and Union Labor Organizations are asking President Obama to give a categorical message to Uribe that his government won't move forward on trade and financial aid decisions until human, ethnic and labor rights are fully guaranteed in Colombia. President Obama is expected, both in the meeting and in the press, to stake out his positions on key bilateral issues such as the pending free trade agreement and the future of Plan Colombia.Witness for Peace and other organizations are calling for a Rally on Monday in front of the White House to voice their expectations for the Obama-Uribe meeting. Please join them and speak to President Obama before Uribe does. Find below the invitation:
Emergency Rally: Monday, 12:30pm, White House
Tell Obama what to tell Uribe:
YES human rights,
NO FTA or military aid
Click here to send a letter to President Obama
Obama Meets Uribe http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5436/t/2467/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1783
Emergency rally for human rights in Colombia
Monday, June 29, 12:30pm
North side of the White House
(On the sidewalk to the south of Lafayette Park)
Contact: 202-403-1752
On Monday afternoon President Obama will meet for the first official time with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. We intend to speak to Obama before Uribe does. Please join us at the White House for an emergency rally at 12:30pm on Monday. Using creative actions, signs, and voices, we'll ask President Obama to make clear that the future of U.S.-Colombia policy will hinge on human rights.
The situation in Colombia is grave: increasing and unchecked murders of unionists, human rights defenders, Afro-Colombian and indigenous leaders, and innocent civilians. Until such alarming violations cease, U.S. military aid and discussion of the pending free trade agreement must also cease. Come tell President Obama to stand for the change he called for.
We could use some help in preparing signs beforehand. To lend a hand, come to a sign-making party at 1211 Delafield Place NW on Sunday, 3:00-5:00pm.
Background
Monday's meeting between Presidents Obama and Uribe, their first substantive face-to-face encounter, will likely prove a defining moment for the next few years of U.S. policies towards Colombia. President Obama is expected, both in the meeting and in the press, to stake out his positions on key bilateral issues such as the pending free trade agreement and the future of Plan Colombia.
While on the campaign trail, President Obama repeatedly voiced opposition to the Colombia free trade agreement and raised concerns about Colombia's notorious human rights situation. The situation now is no less alarming--2008 saw:
- 380,000 more Colombians violently displaced from their homes, a disproportionate number of which are indigenous and Afro-Colombians
- 49 more unionists murdered, a 26% increase over 2007 and more killings than the rest of the world combined
- Hundreds more innocent civilians killed by Colombian military personnel, deemed by a recent U.N. investigation to be "cold-blooded, premeditated murder of innocent civilians…carried out in a more or less systematic fashion by significant elements within the military."
In addition to taking part in Monday's rally, you can also send a message to President Obama. Visit witnessforpeace.org (link below) to send an email calling for policies that actually respect human rights, promote decent livelihoods, and pave paths to peace in Colombia.
Witness for Peace Mid-Atlantic
3628 12th Street NE. 1st Fl.,
Washington, DC 20017
202.403.1752 - 202.536.4708
wfpma@witnessforpeace.org
Useful Links:
Send a letter to Obama: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5436/t/2467/campaign.jsp?
campaign_KEY=1783
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/625/t/8560/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1145&tag=LAWGalert2
http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/UribeObama
http://news.afrocolombians.com/news/?sectionid=14
NGOs statments and letters on Obama-Uribe visit:
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/06/26/colombia-obama-should-press-uribe-rights
http://www.wola.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=viewp&id=934&Itemid=8
Eyes on Trade:
http://www.citizen.org/trade/
Human Rights:
http://www.usofficeoncolombia.com/
http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/defenders/hrd_colombia/hrd_colombia.aspx?c=c1
http://www.hrw.org/americas/colombia
http://www.wola.org/?topic=?&option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=6&Itemid=&topic=Rights+and+Development
http://lawg.nonprofitsoapbox.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=51
http://www.jrsusa.org/news/news_090625.php
June 25, 2009
Afro-Colombian Organizations denounce critical human rights situation in the Northern Cauca Region
Text in Spanish.Afrokolombia, 19 de junio de 2.009
El Proceso de Comunidades Negras en Colombia PCN, se permite poner en conocimiento de la comunidad nacional e internacional los siguientes hechos:
1. El Norte del Cauca, específicamente los municipios de Suárez y Buenos Aires, están habitados en su mayoría por comunidades negras , descendientes de antiguos esclavizados, cuya subsistencia depende de actividades agropecuarias y mineras y que han sido un ejemplo de resistencia pacífica y construcción de paz desde la base comunitaria para todo el país.
2. El Norte del Cauca es una zona geoestratégica que históricamente ha sido un corredor de movilidad que tiene gran importancia por la riqueza ambiental y minera que alberga. Estas razones han ocasionado que la zona se encuentre en constante disputa por parte de los actores armados legales e ilegales, además hay un particular interés de multinacionales como la empresa Kedhada, Cosigo EPSA, varias empresas madereras y de varias compañías mineras nacionales.
3. En la zona existe una importante dinámica organizativa: Consejos Comunitarios, Organizaciones de Mujeres, Organizaciones de Jóvenes, Organizaciones de Víctimas, Juntas de Acción Comunal, Organizaciones de Agricultores, Cooperativas de Mineros. Estas organizaciones constituyen un invaluable activo para la defensa de los derechos humanos y la promoción de iniciativas para mejorar la calidad de vida de los afrocolombianos. Algunas de estas organizaciones están vinculadas la dinámica organizativa del Proceso de Comunidades Negras en Colombia PCN.
4. Es destacable la larga tradición de lucha de estas comunidades que por siglos se han movilizado por el derecho a la libertad, de sus luchas mas recientes es importante destacar:
- La lucha en contra de la represa la Salvajina por los graves daños ambientales, los impactos sociales y el desplazamiento causado a las comunidades negras, indígenas y campesinas históricamente asentadas en la zona,. De esta lucha se derivó el acta de 1.986 donde constaban varios acuerdos que han sido incumplidos por el gobierno.
- Proceso de consulta previa derivado del proyecto de desvío del río ovejas al embalse la Salvajina promovido por la EPSA y de la formulación del Plan de Manejo de la Salvajina ordenado por el Ministerio del Ambiente.
- Defensa de los derechos de las comunidades mineras amenazados por los intereses de empresas nacionales e internacionales, entre ellas Sociedad Kedhada.
5. Entre el 2000 y el 2004, esta zona fue ocupada por los paramilitares de las Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia AUC, que mantuvieron el control de la zona hasta el 2004. Como consecuencia de esto la zona vivió una larga historia de masacres, asesinatos selectivos, control de alimentos, desplazamientos masivos, desapariciones forzadas, violación de mujeres, incorporación de jóvenes y reclutamiento forzado como algunas de las acciones que desarrollaron en contra de la población, todo esto con el beneplácito de la fuerza publica. Una de las masacres mas conocidas de todo el sur occidente del país, la del Naya ocurrió en este territorio. En el caso de Buenos Aires, estos hechos son objeto hoy de un proceso de discusión y de trabajo para la formulación de uno de los pilotos de reparación colectiva impulsados por la Comisión Nacional de Reparación y Reconciliación. Desde finales del 2007 hay indicios del proceso de reparamilitarización en la zona.
6. En el año 2.004 deriva de estas luchas la constitución de la Comisión Interétnica integrada por delegados locales de organizaciones indígenas y de comunidades negras de los municipios de Suárez, Buenos Aires y Morales, con el acompañamiento de la Asociación de Cabildos Indígenas del Norte del Cauca –ACIN- y el Proceso de Comunidades Negras en Colombia PCN.
7. Todos los megaproyectos desarrollados o proyectados para desarrollarse en la zona han contribuido al desplazamiento de la población y al deterioro de sus derechos económicos, ambientales, sociales y culturales, además de ampliar la brecha de la desigualdad entre la zona y sus pobladores y otros lugares del país.
8. La situación de las Comunidades Negras de esto municipios, sus desplazamiento y riesgos de desplazamientos por efectos de los megaproyectos, conflicto armado y presencia de cultivos de uso ilícito, fue uno de los casos considerados por la Corte Constitucional en su Auto 005 del 2009 y para el cual también ordena la formulación con participación de las comunidades de un plan de protección, y una caracterización de la situación territorial de estas comunidades y adopción de medidas para la protección de sus territoriales.
Denunciamos:
1. El 29 de mayo de 2009, en la oficina de la Asociacion Municipal de Mujeres de Buenos Aires ASOM, ubicada en la Balsa, se presentó un hombre desconocido haciendo preguntas sobre Clemencia Carabalí – miembro fundadora de la Asociacion Municipal de Mujeres - ASOM y militante del PCN – sobre ¿qué hacía y dónde se encontraba? Cuando las compañeras le informaron que no estaba en la vereda, le dejo razón de que cuidara a su familia y que no se metiera en lo que no le importaba. Razón similar le dejo a la compañera Liliana Sandoval, también miembro de ASOM, después de indagar si ella trabajaba con Clemencia Carabalí. De igual manera, varias compañeras de la ASOM han sido amenazadas mediante llamadas a sus teléfonos celulares, les preguntan que si trabajan con Clemencia Carabalí y luego les dicen que cuiden su familia que no se metan en lo que no les importa. El 9 de Octubre del 2000, 10 paramilitares se presentaron a la casa de esta líder y la interrogaron sobre sus actividades personales. Clemencia se encontraba en estado de embarazo y dicha situación provocó la muerte de su hijo, por estos hechos tuvo que desplazarse por tres meses. En febrero de 2007 debió dejar nuevamente su lugar de residencia ante frecuentes indagaciones de personas desconocidas sobre sus quehaceres.
2. Francia Elena Márquez, miembro del Consejo Comunitario de la Vereda La Toma, municipio de Suárez, dinamizadora del tema de jóvenes y miembro de la Asociación de Mujeres de Yolombó y de la Comisión Interetnica, ha venido siendo objeto de amenazas después de su intervención en un Consejo Comunal del Presidente Alvaro Uribe Velez, realizado el día 15 de marzo del 2009. En esta oportunidad Francia Elena Marquez, afirmo que las comunidades ancestrales no iban a permitir que las compañías mineras, entre ellas la Anglo Gold Ashanti Kedahda, las desalojaran de sus tierras; rebatió igualmente el planteamiento del gobernador del Cauca, quien al referirse a la construccion del puente de la Balsa, sobre el río Cauca, dijo que le EPSA aportara 14 mil millones de pesos, pero que la comunidad, como contraprestación, debía aceptar la desviación del Río Ovejas.
3. El pasado 18 de mayo de 2009 fue asesinado el compañero Robert de Jesús Guacheta, en el municipio e Morales quien se desempeñaba como gobernador suplente en su comunidad y era miembro de la comisión interétnica.
4. Igualmente han sido amenazados los lideres Darwin Alexis Peña y Libardo Vera (Asociacion de Jóvenes), Armando Caracas (Comité de Derechos Humanos), Cenen Aponza (Ecobra), Liliana Sandoval (ASOM), Hector Marino Carabali (Asociaron de Victimas) y Lisifredy Ararat (Consejo Comunitario de La Toma). Algunos de ellos han tenido que desplazarse de la zona.
Estos hechos demuestran que hay una persecución por el constante trabajo de resistencia pacífica que adelantan las organizaciones por la defensa de sus derechos. Esta persecución esta acarreando drásticas e irremediables consecuencias para los líderes de estas organizaciones. Desde la intensificación del conflicto armado en las regiones de habitación de población afrodescendiente, un gran numero de lideres y lideresas han sido asesinados, sus familiares amenazados o asesinados y, mas de un millon de personas han sido forzadas al desplazamiento interno.
Demandamos:
1. Que el gobierno nacional adopte todas las medidas para proteger la vida de los líderes de las comunidades negras de los municipios de Suarez y Buenos Aires, y que el derecho de estas comunidades a la consulta con consentimiento previo, libre e informado sobre posproyectos que los afectaran, pueda ser ejercido con la seguridad, la libertad y la autonomía que demandan y que la constitución, el convenio 169 y la ley garantizan.
2. Que los gobiernos Local, Departamental y Nacional, protejan de acuerdo a lo ordenado por la Ley en Colombia, el Convenio 169 de la OIT y por el Auto 005 del 2009, el derecho de las comunidades negras a permanecer en sus territorios. Para esto de inmediato se debe concertar – entre otras medidas, - entre las comunidades, sus organizaciones y líderes y el gobierno, los mecanismos y garantías para cumplimiento a lo dispuesto por el Auto 005.
3. Que el gobierno y la CNRR, adopten las medidas necesarias para garantizar la vida de los lideres, miembros de las organizaciones y comunidades que aceptaron participar en la realización del Piloto de Reparación Colectiva, igualmente para garantizar que este ejercicio pueda avanzar sin dilaciones y con respeto al derecho a la participacion autónoma de las comunidades, sus organizaciones y lideres.
4. Exigimos se investiguen la ola de amenazas, intimidaciones y asesinato de los lideres de las Comunidades y miembros de la Comision Interétnica.
Equipo de Derechos Humanos
Proceso de Comunidades Negras en Colombia PCN
Whisper in Obama's ear before President Uribe does
President Uribe will meet with President Obama next week on Monday, June 29 at the White House. It is for sure that the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement will be at the top of President Uribe's agenda. Human Rights organizations in Washington, DC are asking that you take action: ask President Obama to voice a clear and loud message to President Uribe about human rights protection. Stand up, SAY NO TO US-COLOMBIA FTA!To write directly to President Obama got to this links:
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5436/t/2467/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1783
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/625/t/8560/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1145&tag=LAWGalert2
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/625/t/8560/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1145&tag=LAWGalert2
Let your voice be heard!
Go to the Rally:
Obama Meets Uribe
Emergency rally for human rights in Colombia
Monday, June 29, 12:30pm
North side of the White House
(On the sidewalk to the south of Lafayette Park)
Contact: 202-403-1752
Dear Mr. President Obama, We Want to Hear From You Clear and Loud that You Stand Up for Human Rights in Colombia
From: AFRODES USADear Friends and Collegaues,
Tell President Obama that the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Undermines the Civil and Human Rights of Afro-Colombians.
This Monday June 29 Colombian President Alvaro Uribe will meet with President Obama to discuss US-Colombia relations at the White House. As it is their first official meeting, the top priority of President Uribe’s agenda will be the pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and US aid to Colombia. Urge President Obama to give President Uribe a clear message that human rights are a priority in the U.S. relations with Colombia. In particular, ask President Obama to express concern about the continued and systematic human rights abuses committed against the Afro-Colombian people.
Afro-Colombians are disproportionately affected by Colombia’s internal armed conflict and violence. A conflict that President Uribe and other high level officials deny exists! In recent years, Afro-Colombian leaders, families and communities have increasingly become targets of violence and death threats. Furthermore, aerial fumigations funded by the U.S. and combat operations have generated forced displacement of 380,000 in 2008 alone. President Obama must urge President Uribe to take bold steps to prevent further displacement from taking place and ensure that Afro-Colombian communities are not harmed.
President Uribe must hear loud and clear from President Obama that US-Colombia relations will only advance when Colombia shows a real commitment to protect the human rights of Afro-Colombians, curtails abuses committed against them, guarantees their territorial and cultural rights, respects their right to previous consultation on all development projects including the FTA and takes bold steps to combat racial discrimination.
Write to President Obama today and ask him to raise the following issues with President Uribe:
1. Ensure peace in Afro-Colombian territories. Colombia is asking for an FTA at a time when violence, impunity and inequality are disproportionately affecting Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Communities. Proper protection mechanisms must be put in place for these minorities to exert the right to life and not become internally displaced. Under current conditions an FTA would not benefit the majority of Afro-Colombians.
2. Colombia must respect land rights and return all illegally and violently usurped lands to their rightful owners. Internal displacement and violent expropriation of territories belonging to Afro-Colombians has gone on for far too long. Rather than protect the victims and ensure that their lands are returned the Colombian government has promoted legislation, policies and programs that undermine ethnic minorities’ land rights.
3. Colombia must comply with international standards that protect Afro-Colombian rights. The FTA Chapters on Environment, Intellectual Property and Investment were formulated and approved by Colombia without the Previous Consultation of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Communities. The previous consultation mechanism is a basic right of the ethnic groups mandate by Decree 1320/98, Law 70/93, and ILO Convention 169. Under Uribe’s legislation later ruled unconstitutional for being in clear violation of ethnic minorities’ rights were passed. The record shows that Uribe is not respecting and guaranteeing these ethnic minorities’ land rights.
4. No bio-fuel projects should be implemented on Afro-Colombian collective lands, and the FTA should not provide resources for such projects to be implemented on Afro-Colombian collective territories. Large scale and infrastructural and economic projects such bio-fuels (oil palm and sugarcane), are linked in Colombia to land expropriation, exploitation, violence, environmental damage, and serious labor standard violations. Many Afro-Colombians are employed by the sugar cane industry which does not respect basic labor rights for its associative cooperative workers. Afro-Colombian grassroots communities have opposed the expansion of mono-cultural crops for years, yet Uribe insists on promoting such projects.
5. The Long Term Developmental Plan for Afro-Colombian, Raisal and Palenque Communities must get the technical and financial resources to be fully implemented. As per law 70 of the black communities, Afro-Colombian communities have formulated their own development projects and land management plans. Colombia has minimally funded such projects and instead imposed its own development plans that are highly problematic for the Afro-Colombian people. Its method of “divide and conquer” in order to push projects through has lead to divisions and conflict among the Afro-Colombian people and a weakening of the Afro-Colombian leadership.
You can use this document to draft your own letter.
White House e-mail: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Phone Numbers: 202-456-1111 - FAX: 202-456-2461 - TTY/TDD: 202-456-6213
Please contact Charo Mina Rojas at charo@io.com or 434-760-0663 if you have any questions.
Thank you.
AFRODES USA
April 29, 2009
THE US-COLOMBIA FTA AND NATIONAL INSECURITY: A CALL FOR ETHICAL FOREIGN POLICY…
http://www.afrocolombians.com/pdfs/AboutTheRallyOnApril30-2009.pdfNew Report on Panama FTA
By, Public Citizen, Global Trade Watch."Panama FTA would undermine U.S. efforts to stop offshore tax-haven abuse and regulate risky financial conduct". The report says. "Trade deal would leave tax shelters for AIG and narcotraffikers intact, while removing existing U.S. tools to combat tax evasion and other financial crimes.
http://www.afrocolombians.com/pdfs/PublicCitizenNewReportonPanamaFTA.pdf
Unions United In Colombia FTA Opposition
In the wake of U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk’s announcement thisweek that he is stepping up work toward congressional passage of the
pending U.S. free trade agreements with Panama and Colombia, union
sources were united in their strong opposition to advancing deals they
see as examples of a failed Bush administration trade policy.
http://www.afrocolombians.com/pdfs/UnionsUnitedInColombiaFTAOppositionBenchmarks.pdf
New Report: Panama FTA
April 29, 2009New Report: Panama FTA Would Undermine U.S. Efforts to Stop OffshoreTax-Haven Abuse and Regulate Risky Financial Conduct
Trade Deal Would Leave Tax Shelters for AIG and Narcotraffickers Intact While Removing Existing U.S. Tools to Combat Tax Evasion and Other Financial Crimes
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Obama’s ability to deliver on his campaign commitments to close tax loopholes that promote offshoring and re-regulate the financial sector would be dealt a sharp blow if the U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is passed, according to a Public Citizen report released today.
The new report details how Panama explicitly created an industrial policy designed to create a “comparative advantage” in tax-evasion and money-laundering services for entities such as the bailed-out American International Group (AIG) and Mexican and Colombian narcotraffickers. The report also examines how specific FTA rules would remove key policy tools – such as limitations on transfers from tax-haven countries that are used to combat financial crimes – and would also conflict with U.S. government efforts to combat the global economic crisis by re-regulating finance.
“Members of Congress wouldn’t vote to let AIG not pay its taxes or to give Mexican drug lords a safe place to hide their proceeds from selling drugs to our kids, but that’s in essence what the Panama FTA does,” said Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch division. “The Obama administration has discarded or altered many leftover Bush initiatives, so why would it push a Bush trade pact that directly conflicts with its priority campaign goals of closing tax loopholes and regulating finance?”
The Panama deal, otiated by the Bush administration, is modeled on the controversial North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) template. It includes the controversial private “investor-state” enforcement system, which would give new powers to hundreds of thousands of private investors from around the world that are registered and have operations in Panama. This includes the right to challenge U.S. anti-tax haven policies and financial service regulations in foreign tribunals to demand taxpayer-funded compensation.
Among the key findings:
Some of the largest recipients of U.S. federal procurement contracts and money under the Troubled Asset Relief Program – including Citigroup and AIG – have a combined dozens of subsidiaries in Panama that would be empowered with expansive new rights if the FTA is implemented. These firms have been among the top advocates for the Panama FTA;
Panama is one of only 13 countries – and the only current or prospective FTA partner – that is listed on all of the major tax-haven watchdog lists that also does not have U.S. tax transparency treaties.
In the face of recent pressure to reform related to the G-20 Financial Crisis summit process, Panama wrote to the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) defiantly outlining its refusal to adopt key reforms, such as lifting the veil of secrecy on beneficial ownership of bank accounts and automatic exchange of tax information;
The April 2009 OECD tax-haven watch-list includes Panama among 30 countries that agreed to conform to international tax norms but failed to do so. Indeed, the OECD report notes that Panama made its commitment in 2002 and since has completed not a single agreement to implement its promise. In contrast, other countries on the list have completed as many as eight compliance agreements – which is still not adequate to be taken off this list.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice and other entities, Panama is also a major financial conduit for Mexican and Colombian narcotraffickers’ money laundering activities;
According to the U.S. State Department, Panama has more than 350,000 foreign-registered companies, all of which face low to no taxes and regulation. This high rate of foreign incorporation – Panama is reportedly second only to Hong Kong – makes the country a magnet for tax evasion. According to a Panamanian law firm’s advertisement touting Panama’s lax standards: “Even Switzerland cooperates on income tax cases if the return is filed falsely like all income was not declared, things were omitted or so the complaining government says. Belize has tax treaties, as do most of the so-called ‘tax havens.’ There is no better jurisdiction than Panama today!!!!!!!”
“At a time of massive public anger at Wall Street, the Panama FTA is the wrong handout for the wrong interests,” said Todd Tucker, research director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch division. “President Obama campaigned on the need for a change in our trade policies and a crack-down on tax loopholes that promote offshoring, so implementing a Bush NAFTA-style trade agreement with one of the world’s major tax havens is pretty obviously not the way to go.”
To remedy the tax-haven, banking-secrecy and money-laundering problems with the FTA outlined in this report, the Obama administration should renegotiate the pact to:
Eliminate the FTA provisions that ban limits on transfers, which would remove from the United States the key policy tool for acting against banking secrecy, tax-haven policies and money laundering;
Remove the investor-state enforcement system, which would allow hundreds of thousands of private investors from around the world that are registered and have operations in Panama to challenge U.S. anti-tax haven policies for cash compensation;
Remove the FTA’s restrictions on financial regulations, including those that forbid limits on financial service firms’ size or establishment of firewalls between different financial service businesses, and add to FTA’s financial services text a set of required minimum financial regulatory standards that signatories to the agreement would agree to adopt in domestic law and enforce that could be based on the re-regulation proposals now being formulated in multilateral and domestic forums; and
Require that the FTA be terminated if Panama fails to maintain the transparency standards outlined below, which should be passed before the FTA goes into effect. (As a related measure, the Obama administration should create an independent regulatory agency, perhaps along the lines of the Financial Product Safety Commission proposed by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and others, and authorize this body to perform regular evaluations of Panama's maintenance of these new standards. These evaluations would form the basis for the invocation of the FTA termination measure.)
The report additionally outlines a series of steps Panama must take domestically before any FTA with the country should even be considered. Among the top reforms are signing an automatic tax information exchange agreement with the United States, full disclosure of the beneficial ownership of corporations and other entities, and a ban on bearer shares (securities that allow the holder to conceal their identity).
“This agreement is a throwback to a past era, as highlighted by the agreement’s expansive limits on financial service regulation. The pact was signed by President Bush in 2007 and clearly predates the bipartisan consensus created by the meltdown that better regulation of financial service is necessary for markets to work productively,” said Wallach.
To read the report, go to http://www.citizen.org/documents/PanamaTaxEvasionReportApril2009-FINAL.pdf
Unions United In Colombia FTA Opposition
April 29, 2009Unions United In Colombia FTA Opposition, Split On
Handling Benchmarks
By, Erick Watson
In the wake of U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk’s announcement this
week that he is stepping up work toward congressional passage of the
pending U.S. free trade agreements with Panama and Colombia, union
sources were united in their strong opposition to advancing deals they
see as examples of a failed Bush administration trade policy.
More http://www.afrocolombians.com/pdfs/UnionsUnitedInColombiaFTAOppositionBenchmarks.pdf