For background on human rights violations in Colombia, click here.
Though Nicholas Kristoff rightly mentions how violence in Colombia has decreased substantially in the past few years, the situation isn't exactly paradise. With estimates ranging up to 4 million displaced people in the country, Colombia still has the second to highest rate of internal displacement in the world. Many of the displaced now living collectively in what are called "humanitarian zones" are still unable to return to their own land. Additionally, guerrilla warfare against innocent civilians by groups such as the FARC (also on the US terrorist list), abuses by the Colombian military against civilians, assassinations of trade unionists, and threats against human rights activists have been continuing to terrorize the country.
Regardless of these ongoing atrocities, President Bush has become good friends with Colombian president Alvaro Uribe, due to his support for the war in Iraq and the country's nice supply of oil. Deciding to put aside the human rights situation in addition to the fact that the majority of cocaine in the US comes from Colombia, Bush has been aggressively pushing for Congress to ratify a free trade agreement (FTA) with them. In addition to the usual debate over the pros and cons of FTAs, human rights abuses have been highlighted as a disincentive for ratification. With the leadership of Nancy Pelosi, Democrats have put off the vote. Bush concedes that "this free-trade agreement is in our national interests...yet...it is dead unless the speaker schedules a definite vote." At a NAFTA summit yesterday, Bush and fellow partners once again pushed for the FTA. In response, Speaker Pelosi argues that an economic stimulus package for the US needs to come before the trade agreement with Colombia.
If negotiations continue, it is crucial for the US administration and presidential candidates (click here for their stances on trade) to fully take into account all the consequences that will arise from the FTA, not only in how it will affect the US economy but also in how it will affect the lives of civilians in Colombia.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Colombia: Human Rights vs. Free Trade
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In reality, it will have very little impact on the U.S. economy, and a very big impact on the Colombian economy, which makes Kristof's anecdotal evidence more disturbing. Yes, it will help the flower and coffee industries in Colombia, but what about the rest of the agriculture sector? The pressure on farmers to give up other crops and grow the extremely profitable coca leaf is already high. The influx of US goods like corn would likely push Colombian corn farmers (which Wikipedia says exist) out of the market and towards coca. Even if not pushed towards coca, these farmers will face the same challenges to adjust that agro sectors in other developing countries that open to free trade face.
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