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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