[mgj-discuss] CAFTA is in Trouble and we Can Bring it Down! Tuesday 5pm!

[phipco at riseup.net]

Word is out, CAFTA is stalling!
MGJ calling for a 5pm make it or break it picket to vocalize opposition to 
the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) Tuesday Dec. 16th in 
front of the Mayflower Hotel (Connecticut St. NW, just up from L St.). 
Bring Noise makers, Puppets, banners, signs and your voice

The negotiations of the Central American Free Trade Agreement are at a 
stand still!  Today the word was leaked that negotiations will continue 
through Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.  The representative from 
Guatemala told the crowd picketing out in front of the Mayflower that our 
presence was good for there resistance to the US trade agenda.  Mobilize 
for Global Justice is calling for a picket to begin at 5pm on Tuesday in 
front of the Mayflower Hotel.  The picket has no scheduled ending
if you 
want to stay the night you can.  We have to keep up the presence in front 
of the hotel.  Over the week the pickets have grown in size and noise 
level!  Our presence is being felt inside the hotel!  So come out and make 
sure they know we are out side and that we say NO TO CAFTA! 

CAFTA is NAFTA Extended to Central America

All the same issues human and labor rights organizations have with NAFTA 
(and FTAA) are present in CAFTA, including:

Secrecy Instead of Transparency: No formal public input or oversight in the 
negotiations.

Corporate Domination Over Democracy: At the expense of democracy and 
people's right to self-rule, CAFTA would likely give corporations powers to 
object to barriers to free trade, including laws people enact for their own 
protection. For example, NAFTA established the right for companies to sue 
governments over public-interest laws that may limit their profits. This 
right has been employed 27 times by companies since 1994.

Increased Inequality: A minority of rich companies and wealthy stockholders 
will benefit from reduced costs. The poor will get poorer and more people 
will move into poverty: workers will get lower pay and lose their jobs 
while shouldering higher costs of living as more services are privatized.

Disappearing Public Services: Resources such as education, health care, 
energy, and water utilities owned by everyone in a community will more 
likely become owned by corporations. This could put essential public 
services out of the hands of many people. For example, When Bolivia 
privatized its water utility, water rates increased 200 percent, leading to 
riots that resulted in six deaths.

Reduced Labor Rights: Labor laws such as those that protest worker's safety 
can also be challenged and the "race to the bottom" for pay will likely 
hurt workers in all countries involved in CAFTA.

Negative Agricultural Impact: Increased corporate domination of farms and 
possible devastation of family farms and farmers in the US and Central 
America.

Environmental Destruction: Environmental laws are just one types of 
barriers to trade that can be gutted. This decreases costs to companies but 
increases costs to local communities which suffer more health problems as a 
result of pollution