The ACTUAL Summit

[drain.you]

Americas leaders talk free trade


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Bush laughed off suggestions of any public clash with Chavez

Leaders of 34 nations from Canada to Chile are debating free trade across the Americas on the final day of a summit in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

US President George W Bush is set to push for a new trading bloc in the teeth of opposition led by President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.

Riots by anti-Bush protesters marked the opening of the summit on Friday.

Leaders are hoping for a calmer atmosphere for talks on trade, job creation and anti-poverty action.


It's particularly not easy to host - perhaps - me
George W Bush
US president


The US is seeking to breathe life into the concept of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) but other countries have vowed to bury the plan.

The BBC's James Coomarasamy reports that it makes for an awkward meeting for Mr Bush - who has already had to listen to his host, Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, publicly blame American-backed economic policies for his country's ills.

Leaders pulled up at the venue on Saturday in convoys of limousines, and leaders could be heard chatting and cracking jokes before sitting down for the discussions.

They are set to produce a summit declaration which could call for relaunching talks on the proposed FTAA - an idea raised in 1994 at the first Americas summit in Miami.

'Reduced bloc'

Thomas Shannon, US assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, predicted strong support for the FTAA.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez attends final day of summit
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Venezuela championed leftist feeling in the absence of Cuba

"It's become clear as the negotiations have moved forward that there is significant support within the region," he told the AP news agency.

Correspondents say the US has been downplaying the extent of opposition to free trade, while President Bush made an attempt to joke off the riots.

"It's not easy to host all these countries," he said. "It's particularly not easy to host - perhaps - me."

On Friday, Mr Chavez addressed a peaceful rally of up to 40,000 people at a football stadium in the resort.

He arrived at the summit declaring "The FTAA is dead and we are going to bury it here".

Police said 64 people were arrested in the violence in which more than 1,000 rioters set businesses on fire. The situation had calmed down by late on Friday evening.

Our correspondent says that, with several countries including Argentina opposed to the FTAA, a unanimous deal seems unlikely.

However, Mexican President Vicente Fox has suggested one solution: that those countries which are in favour of the free trade plan - 29 out of the 34 - could simply go it alone.

[bolshevik butcher]

If they did go it alone what would be the likely results for those left outside the zone? It's not as if people would stop trading with each otehr, venezuelan oil is vital to the americna economy.

[fernando]

Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela were the most "powerful" nations in Latin America IIRC. many other countries are about to have governments who are not Yankee lapdogs like Fox or Toledo!

[Severian]

Originally posted by Clenched [email protected] 5 2005, 05:19 PM
If they did go it alone what would be the likely results for those left outside the zone? It's not as if people would stop trading with each otehr, venezuelan oil is vital to the americna economy.
Brazil, Argentina, and some other countries in the southern part of South America have their own trading bloc "MERCOSUR". Strengthening and expanding that is probably a more viable strategy for national economic development.

Under these "free trade agreements", Third World countries are pressured to open their markets to imperialist exports and investment...while the U.S. retains its export subsidies and some import barriers. That makes economic relations even more uneven and marked by domination than they already are.

And Fernando's right that the objecting countries include some of the more economically powerful ones.

[Guerrilla22]

Of course the US is the main proponent of this, US companies will get rich by exploiting the people of Latin America, just like they did with NAFTA. Apparently 5 countries are blocking the talks Venezuela, Argentina and Brazil among them.

[drain.you]

No trade deal at Americas summit

Participants of the summit
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Leaders of 34 nations from across the Americas have failed to find a compromise on a regional free trade zone at their summit in Argentina.

Talks continued beyond the scheduled end of the gathering, as supporters of a US-led proposal sought to set a date to begin detailed negotiations.

The US faced opposition from five Latin American countries, which said the plan could damage their economies.

The final document contained an appendix with the two rival statements.

With most leaders - including US President George W Bush - already gone from the two-day talks, their representatives signed an annexe to the summit's final declaration with rival viewpoints on the initiative.


It's particularly not easy to host - perhaps - me
George W Bush
US president



Twenty-nine countries said they wanted to resume talks on a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) in 2006.

Five others - Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay, Paraguay - insisted on waiting for results of the next World Trade Organization meeting in Hong Kong next month.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, said they were "standing like a rock" against the idea of the free trade area.

"Today the big loser was Mr Bush," he said, calling the five opponents of the plan "the five musketeers".

Riots by anti-Bush protesters marked the opening of the summit in the resort town of Mar del Plata on Friday.

Mr Bush has now gone on to Brazil.

'Reduced bloc'

The leaders were hoping to produce a summit declaration which could call for relaunching talks on the proposed FTAA - an idea raised in 1994 at the first Americas summit in Miami.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez attends final day of summit
Venezuela championed left-wing feeling in the absence of Cuba

But the BBC's James Coomarasamy reports that it was an awkward meeting for Mr Bush - who had to listen to his host, Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, publicly blame American-backed economic policies for his country's ills.

However, Mr Bush stayed three hours longer than planned in the hope of securing a deal.

The US National Security Adviser, Steven Hadley, spoke of "real progress".

"We went from a summit which was supposed to bury FTAA to a summit in which all 34 countries actually talk in terms of enhanced trade ... recognizing there are challenges," he said.

But our correspondent says it has been an inconclusive summit marred by violence and for President Bush, it's also been an uncomfortable one.

The US leader attempted to make light of the violent protests and the tense atmosphere.

"It's not easy to host all these countries," he said. "It's particularly not easy to host - perhaps - me."

On Friday, Venezuelan President Chavez addressed a peaceful rally of up to 40,000 people at a football stadium in the resort.

He arrived at the summit declaring "The FTAA is dead and we are going to bury it here".

Police said 64 people were arrested in the violence in which more than 1,000 rioters set businesses on fire. The situation had calmed down by late on Friday evening.