Binky
11-20-2006, 05:18 PM
COLOMBIA HOPES FOR CLOSER U.S. TIES THROUGH FREE TRADE
The United States has no greater friend in South America than Colombia. And at a time when it has so few supporters south of the border, Washington has the opportunity to strengthen ties with this country. The two governments concluded negotiations for a bilateral free-trade agreement earlier this year, but there are serious doubts the U.S. will ratify it now that the Democrats are taking control of Congress in January. Failure to do so would be a real setback for Colombia, and for the United States.
Two things impressed me during my recent visit to this republic of 46 million people, the second largest in South America after Brazil. The first is how much better off Colombia is today than it was when I was there 10 years ago. Most of the progress has been made under President Alvaro Uribe, who was inaugurated for his second four-year term in August. On my last visit, was a scary place, on the verge of succumbing to the violence perpetrated by drug-traffickers and armed guerrillas. At that time a former student related that he and his wife went to work every morning not knowing if they would return home to their children in the evening.
During his first term, Uribe mounted a serious military campaign against the guerrilla threat to re-establish a government presence in all areas of the country.
The guerrillas are still there -- and less progress has been made in reducing drug trafficking -- but Colombia has made impressive strides.
The incidence of homicide and kidnapping has declined dramatically. This trip, my former student took great pride in showing off the restored government buildings and plazas of downtown Bogota, where visitors did not venture on my earlier visits.
The capital city now offers its residents bike paths and streets closed to traffic on weekends so families can enjoy its considerable charms.
My program also took me through the heart of the rich coffee country, and it was evident that rural Colombia is also more secure.
With violence down and confidence restored, the Colombian economy has experienced four years of healthy growth.
The second thing that strikes the visitor is the fear of Colombians that the United States will reject the recently negotiated free-trade treaty. Even those who have reservations about opening their market to U.S. imports -- especially agricultural products -- would see failure to ratify the agreement as a rejection of Colombia's special ties to the United States. One of my hosts reminded me that Colombia was the only Latin American country to dispatch troops to fight and die on the side of the United States in the Korean War. More recently, Colombia has endorsed the U.S. war on terror and invasions of Iraq.
The United States has a lot at stake in maintaining the friendship of Colombia as evidenced by the embassy in Bogota is the second largest in the world, after Baghdad. Washington has invested huge sums of money over the years to fight drug trafficking, which is centered in Colombia. Through Plan Colombia, we are currently providing Colombia $600 million a year to combat drugs and guerrillas.
The irony of congressional opposition to the free-trade treaty with Colombia ( a similar agreement with Peru also awaits ratification ) is that the agreement is quite favorable to U.S. economic interests. Colombia, along with Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, is currently granted preferential access to the U.S. market under the Andean Trade Preference and Drug Eradication Act in the name of encouraging local farmers to switch from cultivating coca and poppies to legitimate crops like flowers and asparagus for export to the United States. The free-trade agreement would provide U.S. exporters reciprocal access to Colombian markets.
It would also open Colombia to more U.S. investment and strengthen protection of intellectual property rights, a major goal of U.S. companies.
The failure of the incoming Congress to ratify the free-trade agreement would be a slap in the face of President Uribe -- who was in Washington last week lobbying members of Congress to approve the agreement.
It could also derail Colombia's road to recovery.
Last but not least, it would deny U.S. firms the opportunity to expand business in an important market, one closely linked to Florida.
Terry L. McCoy is director of the Latin American Business Environment Program at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He was in Colombia in October. He wrote this commentary for the Orlando Sentinel.
2006 Orlando Sentinel
Contact: insight@orlandosentinel.com
Website: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
The United States has no greater friend in South America than Colombia. And at a time when it has so few supporters south of the border, Washington has the opportunity to strengthen ties with this country. The two governments concluded negotiations for a bilateral free-trade agreement earlier this year, but there are serious doubts the U.S. will ratify it now that the Democrats are taking control of Congress in January. Failure to do so would be a real setback for Colombia, and for the United States.
Two things impressed me during my recent visit to this republic of 46 million people, the second largest in South America after Brazil. The first is how much better off Colombia is today than it was when I was there 10 years ago. Most of the progress has been made under President Alvaro Uribe, who was inaugurated for his second four-year term in August. On my last visit, was a scary place, on the verge of succumbing to the violence perpetrated by drug-traffickers and armed guerrillas. At that time a former student related that he and his wife went to work every morning not knowing if they would return home to their children in the evening.
During his first term, Uribe mounted a serious military campaign against the guerrilla threat to re-establish a government presence in all areas of the country.
The guerrillas are still there -- and less progress has been made in reducing drug trafficking -- but Colombia has made impressive strides.
The incidence of homicide and kidnapping has declined dramatically. This trip, my former student took great pride in showing off the restored government buildings and plazas of downtown Bogota, where visitors did not venture on my earlier visits.
The capital city now offers its residents bike paths and streets closed to traffic on weekends so families can enjoy its considerable charms.
My program also took me through the heart of the rich coffee country, and it was evident that rural Colombia is also more secure.
With violence down and confidence restored, the Colombian economy has experienced four years of healthy growth.
The second thing that strikes the visitor is the fear of Colombians that the United States will reject the recently negotiated free-trade treaty. Even those who have reservations about opening their market to U.S. imports -- especially agricultural products -- would see failure to ratify the agreement as a rejection of Colombia's special ties to the United States. One of my hosts reminded me that Colombia was the only Latin American country to dispatch troops to fight and die on the side of the United States in the Korean War. More recently, Colombia has endorsed the U.S. war on terror and invasions of Iraq.
The United States has a lot at stake in maintaining the friendship of Colombia as evidenced by the embassy in Bogota is the second largest in the world, after Baghdad. Washington has invested huge sums of money over the years to fight drug trafficking, which is centered in Colombia. Through Plan Colombia, we are currently providing Colombia $600 million a year to combat drugs and guerrillas.
The irony of congressional opposition to the free-trade treaty with Colombia ( a similar agreement with Peru also awaits ratification ) is that the agreement is quite favorable to U.S. economic interests. Colombia, along with Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, is currently granted preferential access to the U.S. market under the Andean Trade Preference and Drug Eradication Act in the name of encouraging local farmers to switch from cultivating coca and poppies to legitimate crops like flowers and asparagus for export to the United States. The free-trade agreement would provide U.S. exporters reciprocal access to Colombian markets.
It would also open Colombia to more U.S. investment and strengthen protection of intellectual property rights, a major goal of U.S. companies.
The failure of the incoming Congress to ratify the free-trade agreement would be a slap in the face of President Uribe -- who was in Washington last week lobbying members of Congress to approve the agreement.
It could also derail Colombia's road to recovery.
Last but not least, it would deny U.S. firms the opportunity to expand business in an important market, one closely linked to Florida.
Terry L. McCoy is director of the Latin American Business Environment Program at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He was in Colombia in October. He wrote this commentary for the Orlando Sentinel.
2006 Orlando Sentinel
Contact: insight@orlandosentinel.com
Website: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/