US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA483

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000483 
 
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, MARCH 3, 2005 
 
 
1. Editorial in San Pedro Sula-based liberal daily "Tiempo" on 
3/3, entitled "CAFTA CA-USA."  "Congress is about to discuss and 
approve CAFTA next week, despite the strong opposition of some 
organizations part of the Popular Block (Bloque Popular), as well 
as other peasant and civil society organizations." 
 
"However, it seems that there are enough votes in Congress to 
ensure its approval, with the exception of Congressmen of the 
Democratic Unification Party, after some last-minute negotiations 
with opposition parties which were carried out, above all, to 
give the impression that CAFTA has been democratically discussed 
among various sectors." 
 
"For Honduras, the weight of the commitments acquired by 
participating in this multilateral agreement, as well as the 
specific interests of the manufacturing sector  -especially the 
maquila's-  have practically ensured the approval of CAFTA." 
 
"However, its approval should also include the commitment to 
provide financial and technical assistance to the agricultural 
sector, to prevent the negative effects that NAFTA has had in 
some areas in southern Mexico, where they haven't implemented the 
development programs conceived in the framework of that trade 
agreement." 
 
Palmer