2 years later, US-Colombia trade deal holds bitter lessons for some
2 years later, US-Colombia trade deal holds bitter lessons for some
By JIM WYSS
The Miami Herald May 14, 2014
BOGOTA, Colombia — When the United States and Colombia implemented a free trade deal two years ago, it was supposed to usher in an era of commerce with a heart. The deal was intended not just to spur bilateral trade but also smooth out Colombia's troubled labor landscape - one of the world's harshest for union organizers.
Forty-eight months later, the free trade agreement has boosted commerce - at least for U.S. exporters - but hopes that it would be the dawn of a new age in labor rights have largely gone unfulfilled. And that broken promise may weigh on other trade deals the U.S. might sign in the future, lawmakers said.
The U.S. Congress signed off on the trade pact in 2012 only after years of debate and after both nations had agreed to a 37-point Labor Action Plan. The LAP, as it's known, was designed to cut down on union busting and end impunity surrounding the murder of union organizers.
U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., didn't vote for the deal but said many of his colleagues were swayed by the LAP.
"Colombia is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a trade unionist and I think there were some who voted for it thinking they were advancing the cause of human rights," he told the Miami Herald.
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