US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA1685

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001685 
 
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, AUGUST 10, 2005 
 
 
1. Op-ed by Pablo Rodas-Martini in San Pedro Sula-based 
liberal daily "Tiempo" on 8/10, entitled "Rebel Countries 
against CAFTA-DR."  "There has been a lot of commotion these 
days about the split decision made by the House of 
Representatives on CAFTA-DR, approved by hardly a two-vote 
difference. The split decision will remain in history, but 
the important thing is that the treaty has been approved." 
 
"As long as the U.S Congress was still discussing 
ratification of CAFTA-DR, the Dominican Republic, 
Nicaraguan, and Costa Rican Congresses had the luxury of 
putting CAFTA-DR on the `to do list.' But as soon it was 
approved in Washington, D.C., they began running out of 
time." 
 
"For these `rebel' countries there are no guarantees that 
the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) will remain if they 
don't ratify CAFTA. They would then only have a Generalized 
Preference System, which is much weaker and more complicated 
than the CBI." 
 
"Time is running out for these `rebel countries.' Apart from 
the U.S. ratification, CAFTA-DR revitalizes the negotiations 
the countries have with Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Panama. 
The rebel countries opposing CAFTA-DR have to face the 
inconvenience that three other countries have already 
approved the treaty, and also that there are four others 
that are going forward while they have fallen behind." 
 
Tuebner