US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA74

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MEDIA REACTION ON CAFTA, JANUARY 11, 2005

Identifier: 05TEGUCIGALPA74
Wikileaks: View 05TEGUCIGALPA74 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Tegucigalpa
Created: 2005-01-12 19:46:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: OIIP KPAO ETRD HO USTR
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000074 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR WHA/PD; IIP/G/WHA DIPASQUALE; AND IIP/T/ES 
DEPT. FOR EB/TPP DCLUNE, WHA/EPSC AND WHA/CEN 
DEPT. PASS USTR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KPAO, ETRD, HO, USTR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON CAFTA, JANUARY 11, 2005 
 
 
1. Editorial in San Pedro Sula-based liberal daily "La Prensa" on 
1/11, entitled "CAFTA cannot wait"  "Such an important issue as 
the ratification of CAFTA has been put off by Congress until 
after the primary elections of February 20.  According to 
President Maduro, the textile maquila industry, the world's third 
biggest exporter to the U.S., would be the most affected if 
Congress keeps postponing the ratification of the agreement." 
 
"Not everything people say about CAFTA is true, and some 
organizations oppose it because they probably haven't had a 
chance to become acquainted with all the provisions of the 
agreement.  For instance, - to cite some advantages - while 
Honduras will be able export about 91% of its agricultural 
production to the U.S. free of tariffs, this nation will be able 
to undergo a progressive elimination of duties and tariffs for up 
to 20 years." 
 
"CAFTA reaffirms our national sovereignty, guaranteeing that 
trade liberalization will not affect the environment or our 
workers' rights.  Besides, it establishes strong anticorruption 
measures for public officials that ask or receive bribes and for 
companies that allow or offer them." 
 
"CAFTA is a countdown that cannot wait.  Either we introduce 
ourselves into the free market or we remain isolated from the 
world, enduring the failure of a captive, inefficient, 
speculative, and traditionally oppressive market." 
 
Palmer 

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