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930 M Street, NW, Suite 609A, Washington DC 20001 Phone: 202 371-9696 Fax: 202-216 9550

Events Conferences Receptions in Washington, DC

Andean Free Trade Area (AFTA) Negotiations

Forum at the US Senate on Capitol Hill 

Washington, DC May 5, 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     US Senator Jon Corzine, Representative Dan Burton, William Lane of Caterpillar,
                           Colombian Ambassador Luis A Moreno, John Sweeney of AFL-CIO (invited)
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

Thursday May 12, 2005
President Bush Meets with Presidents Abel Pacheco of Costa Rica, Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic, Elias Antonio Saca of El Salvador, Oscar Berger of Guatemala, Ricardo Maduro of Honduras and Enrique Bolanos of Nicaragua to discuss the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement, the White House.

Rebuilding after disaster -- all day -- Chamber of Commerce holds a summit to discuss the concerns and challenges of rebuilding areas affected by the December tsunami. Former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton; Jan Egeland, United Nations; Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Indonesia; Kantathi Suphamongkhon, Thailand; James Lee Witt, Federal Emergency Management Agency; and Robert B. Zoellick, State Department, participate. Location: Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.

Appropriations state, foreign operations and related programs subcommittee holds a hearing on fiscal 2006 appropriations for the State Department and foreign operations. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testifies. Location: 124 Dirksen Senate Office Building. Contact: 202/224-7363.

Asian affairs -- 4 p.m. -- National Press Club Newsmaker Program sponsors a program featuring Kanthati Suphamongkhon, minister of foreign affairs of Thailand, discussing "Thailand in Southeast Asia and Beyond." Location: National Press Club, 14th and F streets NW. Zenger Room.

May 11, 2005

Attended the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation reception to honor the accomplishments of former first lady Nancy Reagan, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.

Central American and Dominican Republic Free Trade Area Forum
at the US Senate on Capitol Hill

Washington, DC April 25, 2005 Americas Global Foundation invites you to its next Capitol Hill Speaker Series (CHSS) Forum at the US Congress, this time on CAFTA-DR, Central American and Dominican Republic Free Trade Area agreement.

DATE                Wednesday, May 4, 2005
LOCATION       US Senate Dirksen Office Building, Room 106
SPEAKERS       US Congress members Xavier Becerra and Henry Cuellar
                        Stephanie Weinberg, Trade Policy Advisor, OXFAM America
                        David Waskow, International Program Director, Friends of the Earth
                        Elizabeth Drake, Policy Analyst at AFL-CIO
Moderator          Ing. Victor Pinzon

As the US Congress prepares to vote on the CAFTA-DR Agreement we feel timely to address these important trade negotiations between the US and its Central American Dominican Republic trading partners.

Council of the Americas   35th Washington Conference May 2-4, 2005
“STRENGTHENING COMPETITIVENESS, CREATING PROSPERITY”

 Tuesday, May 3rd

Location: US Department of State – 2201 C Street, NW

Loy Henderson Conference Room

8:00-8:45 am Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:45-9:00 Call to Order and Welcome

Eric Farnsworth

Vice President, Washington, Council of the Americas

Susan Segal

President and CEO, Council of the Americas

William Rhodes

Chairman, Council of the Americas

9:00-9:30 The Honorable Condoleezza Rice

Secretary of State

9:30-10:15 The Honorable Roger Noriega

Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs

10:15-10:30 Break

10:30-11:15 His Excellency Luiz Fernando Furlan

Minister of Development, Industry and Commerce, Brazil

11:15-12:00 The Honorable Carlos Gutierrez

Secretary of Commerce

12:00-12:30 Break & Relocate

12:30-2:00 Luncheon – Benjamin Franklin Diplomatic Reception Room

His Excellency George Yong-Boon Yeo

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Singapore

2:00-2:30 Break & Relocate

2:30-3:15 Thomas Donohue

President and CEO, US Chamber of Commerce

3:15-4:00 The Honorable John Snow

Secretary of the Treasury

4:00-4:45 His Excellency Martin Redrado

President, Central Bank of Argentina

4:45-5:15 The Honorable Donald Rumsfeld

Secretary of Defense

5:15-5:30 Break & Relocate

5:30-7:00 Reception – Benjamin Franklin Diplomatic Reception Room

Wednesday, May 4th

Location: United States Congress Senate Russell Building

Caucus Room 325

Main Entrance: Corner of Delaware & Constitution Avenues

8:00-8:45 am Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:45-9:00 am Welcoming Remarks

William Rhodes

Susan Segal

9:00-9:15 am Special 40th Anniversary Tribute to the

Council of the Americas

Representative Carolyn Maloney (Democrat - New York)

Member, House Financial Services Committee

“Trade in the Americas: Where do we go from here?”

9:15-9:45 Representative Clay Shaw (Republican - Florida)

Member, House Subcommittee on Trade

9:45-10:00 Break

10:00-10:30 Representative William Jefferson (Democrat - Louisiana)

Member, House Subcommittee on Trade

10:30-11:00 Representative Kevin Brady (Republican – Texas)

Member, House Subcommittee on Trade

“Building a Political Constituency for the Americas”

11:00-11:30 Representative Dan Burton (Republican - Indiana)

Chairman, House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere

11:30-12:00 Representative Charles Gonzalez (Democrat – Texas)

Member, Energy and Commerce Committee

 The Latino Coalition

Washington, D.C. – The Board of Directors of The Latino Coalition announced today the line up of participants during its 2005 Latino Small Business Economic Conference to be held on May 3-5 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C.

 Tuesday, May 3rd (6:00-8:00 pm) Welcome Reception in the Capitol (Dirksen Senate Bldg. # 366)
Hosted by House Speaker Dennis Hastert
Congressman Henry Bonilla
Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart
Congressman Luis Fortuño
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Wednesday, May 4^th at the J.W. Marriott Hotel (7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.)
(Doors will open at 7:00 a.m.  For security reasons you must be pre-registered and seated no later than 8:00 a.m. 
Open seating for registered participants only.  Registration and breakfast available since 7:00 a.m.)

 President George W. Bush*
U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez
U.S. Senator George Allen
House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas
House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier
Congressman Chris Cannon
Congressman Luis Gutierrez
First Data Corporation CEO Charles Fote
Wellpoint Inc. CEO Larry Glasscock

Thursday May 5^th at the J.W. Marriott Hotel (11:45 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.)
Center for Medicare & Medicaid Administrator Mark McClellan
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Chris Padilla
Ambassadors from Dominican Republic and Central America

For more information or for registration information for the 2005 Latino Small Business Economic Conference, click here:

Contact: Ing. Victor Pinzon
The Latin Quarter News
930 M Street, NW Suite 609A Washington, DC 20001
202-371-9696   Fax: 202-216-9550   vicpinzon@yahoo.com
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