US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA1308

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001308 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR WHA/PD; IIP/G/WHA DIPASQUALE; AND IIP/T/ES 
DEPT. FOR EB/TPP DCLUNE AND WHA/CEN 
DEPT. PASS USTR FOR JWOLFE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KPAO, ETRD, HO, USTR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON CAFTA, JUNE 8, 2004 
 
 
1. Op-ed by Ramon Villeda Bermudez (current member of the 
Foreign Affairs Committee in Congress and former Liberal 
Party presidential candidate) in Tegucigalpa-based liberal 
daily "La Tribuna" on 6/5 entitled "Two lies in three 
letters."  "Representatives of several unions from Central 
America and the Dominican Republic met in San Jose, Costa 
Rica to study what in Spanish is known as the TLC, or CAFTA 
in English.  The first contradiction they found is in regard 
to the words used in the official text of the agreement, 
since the Spanish version refers to it as a `treaty' and the 
English as an `agreement'." 
 
"This difference is crucial.  A treaty is a compulsory pact 
for all parties, but an agreement it's much less complex, 
and if CAFTA is a fast-track agreement, it would be in 
effect immediately.  Thus, it wouldn't have to go through 
the long process of ratification by Congresses, which may 
also be used to avoid changes to the final text.  That's why 
both documents should use the same wording, because if it 
remains as it is, it could produce different obligations 
that any party could use for its own benefit." 
 
"Although the governments have kept in secret the last- 
minute changes they made, ignoring the small entrepreneurs, 
members of Congress and unions, there are several elements 
that have aggravated our skepticism on what they've done." 
 
"It's been said that TLC are three letters that contain two 
lies: it's not a treaty (it's an agreement) and it isn't 
about free trade either, it's about free investment." 
 
"The unions have also concluded that there are two strange 
and hidden commitments that shouldn't be part of CAFTA: the 
protection of intellectual property and patents.  The 
irresponsibility of including those provisions in CAFTA has 
been possible because only the government and some 
privileged businessmen have participated in the 
negotiations." 
 
"If we're actually talking about a treaty, it'll eventually 
come to Congress, and the government will have to spend the 
remainder of 2004 trying to convince all Hondurans on 
CAFTA's benefits, especially those of us who have serious 
doubts about it." 
 
Palmer