Take action to Stop the U.S.-Colombia FTA Vote
The Bush Administration is using “national security” arguments to force a vote on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) immediately after the March recess over the objection of Congression al leadership.
Call or visit your members of Congress while they are home, asking them to publicly oppose the FTA and tell Congressional leadership not to consent to a vote.
The Bush Administration’s all out campaign to ensure the FTA is voted on by the 110th Congress has reached a new level using “national security” as their primary justifications.
They insist Colombia needs the FTA to fight guerilla forces and neighboring Venezuela, offering Congress a choice to either support the FTA, showing support for Colombia, a U.S. ally, or vote against it and by default, support Venezuelan President Chavez. This narrow campaign ignores the continued systematic human rights violations in Colombia including:
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the 3.8 million displaced people forced from their homes—a disproportionate number who are Afro-Colombian and Indigenous people;
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the systematic extermination of the Colombian labor movement, with roughly 50 union members murdered in 2007-08, several attempted murders, hundreds of death threats, and a routine and systematic failure of the government to guarantee the exercise of fundamental labor rights;
- purportedly demobilized paramilitaries resurfacing with new names and intimidating those in the act of defending human rights; and
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61% increase of extrajudicial executions of civilians by members of the Colombian armed forces.
Approving the FTA in a country engaged in a five decade conflict will perpetuate the violent intersections of commerce and conflict. To learn more how these intersections have resulted in human rights violations read and download our new report targeted to Congress entitled The Violent Intersections of Commerce and Conflict: Examining the U.S.-Colombia FTA and Plan Colombia.
People all over the world are calling for international trade and investment systems that respect and promote the dignity of the human person, ensure the development and well-being of people in all nations, foster gender and racial equity and lead to environmental sustainability. However, the U.S.-Colombia FTA takes us far away from this goal.
A few calls can sway your members of Congress to take a public stand. It’s easy. Here’s how.
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Call (202) 224-3121 and ask the Capitol Switchboard operator to connect you to your member of Congress’ office. Visit www.congress.org to find out who represents you in Congress.
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Talking points
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Please stop President Bush from forcing a vote on the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement by taking a public stance against it.
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Click here to select from one of the talking points to support your argument.
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Call 1-202-224-3121 again and ask for one of your two senators. Repeat the message, then call your other senator.
Download and print out this action alert and talking points for meetings and groups.
