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NYC People’s Referendum on Free Trade

NYC People's Referendum on Free Trade

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For Immediate Release: 3/7/08ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ Contact: Phil Josselyn (917) 214-4870

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WITH ANDEAN REGION MIRED IN MILITARY CRISIS, TRADE JUSTICE ACTIVISTS URGE CROWLEY TO OPPOSE TRADE DEAL WITH CORRUPT, REPRESSIVE COLOMBIAN GOV'T

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Woodside, Queens, NY Π On Saturday, March 8 at 9:00AM, members of the NYC People's Referendum on Free Trade, a coalition of community organizations opposed to NAFTA-style free trade agreements, will hold a protest at a corporate sponsored forum on the Colombia Free Trade Agreement featuring Representative Joseph Crowley at 33-15 56th Street (two blocks from the R train).Κ Protesters are outraged at Crowley's vote for the Peru Free Trade Agreement and intend to urge him to oppose controversial US Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

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In the wake of Colombia's bombing raid against FARC rebels on Ecuadorian soil, President Bush has renewed pressure on Congress to pass the Colombia Free Trade Agreement as a show of support for the Uribe government.Κ "With the Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, and Venezuela, condemning Colombia for its illegal incursion and military operation on Ecuadorian soil, Joseph Crowley is joining George Bush in showing contempt for international law," said Phil Josselyn of the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, a member group of the NYC People's Referendum on Free Trade.

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Human rights group widely view Colombia as having the worst human rights record in the hemisphere, with a bloody history of paramilitary and death squad murders of union organizers, peasants, left-wing politicians, and indigenous people.Κ A series of recent scandals have revealed rampant corruption and close ties between the Uribe government and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), the narcotrafficking Colombian paramilitary federation recognized by the US State Department as a terrorist organization.Κ In a country where US corporations like Coca-Cola have been directly linked to death squad assassinations of union organizers, activists believe the free trade agreement will contribute to a culture of impunity, giving corporations a free hand to profit at the expense of workers and the environment.Κ Built into the agreement are investor provisions that give corporations the right to sue Colombia's government for enforcing its environmental and labor provisions.Κ "If the Democratic presidential primary has demonstrated one thing, it's that voters are sick of job-killing free trade deals like NAFTA.Κ The Colombia Free Trade Agreement takes everything bad about NAFTA and grafts it onto a country with a government run by mobsters and terrorists." said Leia Jimenez of the Wetlands Activism Collective, a member group of the People's Referendum.

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Last November, Representative Crowley was one of a minority of House Democrats who voted in favor of a similar free trade agreement with Peru.Κ During the last week of February, 4 farmers were killed, 700 hundred were arrested and a state of emergency and military rule was put in place in Peru in response to protests and nonviolent road blockades organized by farmers concerned that the elimination of agricultural tariffs under the Peru FTA would allow US agribusiness to dump cheap agricultural commodities on the Peruvian market and destroy Peru's family farm economy.Κ In three meetings last year, members of the NYC People's Referendum on Free Trade repeatedly presented Rep. Crowley with analyses from experts that predicted that the free trade agreement would lead to the displacement of farmers, violence, and social unrest, yet he continued to support the agreement, voted for it, and successfully pressured other Democratic Congressmembers to vote for it.Κ With an even worse human rights record than Peru, activists believe passage of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement will result in even more bloodshed.

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"In Colombia the main winners with the U.S.-Colombia FTA will be the narcotraffickers, paramilitaries and their front man who own 90% of the best lands. With their economic power in the 70s and 80s they bought the best lands for money laundering purposes, and from the 90s until now they took power over the rest through violence, massacres and intimidation, leaving Colombia with a population of 3 millions displaced, the second highest after Sudan." Said Julian Monroy, a Colombia immigrant and member of the NYC People's Referendum on Free Trade.
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Prior to the Peru vote, Crowley earned the ire of trade justice activists in 2006 as one of only two NYC members of the House of Representatives to vote for the Oman Free Trade Agreement.Κ "In 2006, while George Bush was waging a war in Iraq on the false pretense of expanding democracy in the Middle East, he was simultaneously inking a trade deal with Oman, an absolute dictatorship where trade unions are illegal.Κ In 2008, the "War on Terror" president wants to pass a trade agreement with the worst terrorist state in the Western hemisphere.Κ In both cases, Bush had Crowley bullying Congressional Democrats into supporting him." said Adam Weissman of Global Justice for Animals and the Environment.

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Citigroup, one of the sponsors of the pro-free trade forum and co-chair of the Latin America Trade Coalition, an alliance of corporations lobbying in support of Latin America Trade Coalition, was a top Crowley campaign contributor in the last election and software giant Oracle Corp, also a member of the Coalition, is a top Crowley contributor in the 2008 election. "In supporting the Peru Free Trade Agreement, Representative Crowley sold out international public health and human rights to satisfy his corporate campaign contributors.Κ The intellectual property provisions of the agreement restrict production of affordable generic medications in order to bolster the profits of multinational pharmaceutical corporations like Pfizer, one of Crowley's major donors.Κ The Colombia Free Trade Agreement contains similar provisions that will lead to unnecessary deaths from the lack of access to life-saving medications.Κ Crowley must take a stand for public health, not the profits of his rich contributors- he must publicly oppose this problematic agreement," said Amanda Lugg of Health GAP (Global Access Project).

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Founded in 2002, the New York City People's Referendum on Free Trade is a coalition of community organizations working to oppose free trade agreements that increase corporate profits at the expense of workers, the environment, family farmers, animals, people with AIDS, beneficiaries of public services, and consumers who want safe food and other products.Κ Through protest, street theater, lobbying, nonviolent civil disobedience, and educational community forums, the Referendum works to educate the media and the general public on the threat posed by free trade agreements while pressuring elected officials to oppose them.

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Additional Info: http://tradejustice.net

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