Andean Free Trade Area (AFTA) Negotiations

Forum at the US Senate on Capitol Hill 

Washington, DC May 23, 2005 Americas Global Foundation invites you to its next Capitol Hill Speaker Series (CHSS) Forum at the US Congress, this time on AFTA, Andean Countries Free Trade Area negotiations.

DATE                Wednesday, May 25, 2005
HOUR               3:00 to 5:00 PM
LOCATION       US Senate Hart Office Building, Room 902
SPEAKERS     Representative Dan Burton, John Sweeney of AFL-CIO (invited); Eric Farnsworth, Vice     
                            President, Council of the Americas; William Lane of Caterpillar; Luis A. Moreno, Colombian
                            Ambassador; Harold Eder, Director of Ecotrade; Bruce Schoengood, Publisher Home & Style
Moderator        Ing. Victor Pinzon

As the US Congress prepares to vote on the CAFTA-DR Agreement and negotiations on AFTA continue we feel timely to address these important trade negotiations between the US and its Andean countries trading partners.

The purpose of this forum is to promote dialog among the various interlocutors, thereby broadening public understanding of the issues.  Listen from experts from the various points of view: for, against and in-between this important issue; a lively, informative, educational, insightful, even controversial forum –as our CHSS are.

AGF encourages answers or discussion among other on the following issues:

Ø       Free Trade agreements offer a great opportunity to expand trade in many ways, where everybody could benefit yet why do they fail to engage over 50% of the population of the involved Latin American countries into the economic spiral?

Ø       Why does Latin America continue immersed in historical under-productivity, under-employment, high poverty levels, huge and growing “Haves and Have-nots” gap; while governments, corporate America and others seem unable -unwilling- to overcome these and many other serious problems, which waste substantial human and economic resources every day?

Ø       Why do USTR and Latin American Official Negotiators reportedly protect primarily multinationals and their large business sectors?

Ø       Why have Hispanic Americans and Latin American disadvantaged sectors have been and continue ignored, excluded from the Free Trade Area negotiations process by the governments and official negotiators?

Ø       Capacity Building is critical among the under-productive and disadvantaged. How have been spent the reported over $146 million for “Capacity Building” given by the US Government and over $500 million by Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in “CAFTA-related operations” to those countries?

Ø       What has been and should be the role of USAID, DOS, DOC, DOD, IDB, OAS, and countries Ambassadors in these issues?

Ø       What should be the role of the average citizen, consumers, NGOs, the disadvantaged and excluded?

Learn about the opportunities and challenges CAFTA-DR offer, and how your businesses and family may benefit from CAFTA-DR, NAFTA, AFTA and other free trade agreements.

Audience may include senior and staff officials of the US Congress, the White House and other government agencies, ambassadors, other diplomats and other foreign government officials, corporate executives, academics, scholars, students, and the media.
AGF requests a tax-deduction donation of $50 per person. You may send us an email requesting a complimentary ticket. Seniors, students and AGF members free admittance. Each participant needs to RSVP.

Sponsors: AGF thanks the Sponsor of this and all CHSS Forums: ALTEX International

Sponsorship   AGF encourages corporate America and any entity to sponsor these public forums to enable us to contribute to the public discourse where everybody wins! Corporate America has been the main beneficiaries of Free Trade. AGF asks them to show their corporate social responsibility; give back to the communities and markets –your consumers and markets.

Contact us and RSVP:  Ing. Victor Pinzon at Vicpinzon@theamericas.org

Americas Global Foundation:
930 M Street, NW Suite 609 Washington, DC 20001
202-371-9696   Fax: 202-216-9550   vicpinzon@theamericas.org    vicpinzon@yahoo.com
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