Toronto Media Co-op

Local Independent News

More independent news:
Do you want free independent news delivered weekly? sign up now
Can you support independent journalists with $5? donate today!

Colombian Politics get Canadian Support

Uribe special guest of Harper

by Blandine Fuchs and David Parker

Colombian Politics get Canadian Support

Outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez will be one of ten specially-invited guests of Stephen Harper at the G8 summit in Huntsville this Friday.

Diplomatic relations have accelerated since 2008 when, during a visit to Bogota, Harper announced the negotia- tion of a bilateral free trade agreement between the two countries.

The Canadian Parliamentary Standing Committee on International Trade published a report recommending the agreement be studied by inde- pendent parties. Meanwhile, the Harper government signed the accord in November 2008 in Lima at the same time as a similarly negotiated agreement with Peru.

The imminent implementation of the agreement follows nearly two years of debate surrounding its rati- fication. The agreement was adopted by law in its third reading on June 14th, during an evening vote when numerous ministers were absent, effec- tively cutting short the studies of the Standing Committee.

Asked about the impacts of the agreement on employment by the Standing Committee in May 2010, Tania Hallé of Project Accompani- ment Solidarity Colombia said, “If we create employment by displacing populations, if we kill women and children to create employment, I don’t think it’s worth creating those jobs.”

Numerous Canadian and Colombian social organizations such as the Movement of Victims of State Crimes in Colombia denounced the agreement in recent years on many levels. Ivan Cepeda of the Movement, emphasizes that beyond the negative impacts of free trade policies, the signing of agreements with Europe, US or Canada constitute specific political support for criminal politicians.

The International Criminal Court is currently investigating Colombia’s nearly five million internally displaced people, and is conducting preliminary reviews to examine crimes against humanity in the country.

The current Uribe government’s policies are expected to continue after his term and throughout 2010, as his successor, ex-minister of defence Juan Manuel Santos won the second round of presidential elections yesterday amidst an electoral fraud scandal.


Socialize:
Want more grassroots coverage?
Join the Media Co-op today.

Creative Commons license icon Creative Commons license icon

About the poster

Trusted by 4 other users.
Has posted 5 times.
View Cameron Fenton's profile »

Recent Posts:


Cameron Fenton (Cameron Fenton)
Montreal
Member since November 2009

About:


308 words

Comments

solidarity freedom and land for the ancestral peoples of amazoni

We indigenous peoples  kamentsá

and inga of the amazonian foothill denounce abuses by the Colombian state to give away our ancestral lands to the mining, biotrade and Concessions and privatization of wetlands, streams and rivers that give rise to the Amazon, for more information visit our blog.

solidarity freedom and land for the ancestral peoples of amazoni

We indigenous peoples kamentsá and inga of the amazonian foothill denounce abuses by the Colombian state to give away our ancestral lands to the mining, biotrade and Concessions and privatization of wetlands, streams and rivers that give rise to the Amazon, for more information visit our blog.

The site for the Toronto local of The Media Co-op has been archived and will no longer be updated. Please visit the main Media Co-op website to learn more about the organization.