White House urges Colombia trade vote after Peru

[OhioChick]

Monday, September 17, 2007; 3:49 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration stepped up efforts on Monday to persuade Congress to approve a controversial free trade agreement with Colombia after an expected vote this fall on a trade deal with Peru.

"I think to deny Colombia a free trade agreement would go down as one of the biggest foreign policy mistakes in our hemisphere in our time," U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said in a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"I think we would confuse our friends (in the region) and make our enemies very happy," Gutierrez said.

Congress is expected to approve a free trade deal with Peru by mid-October. Many Democrats would prefer to vote next on a trade pact with Panama rather than turn to the Colombia agreement, which is fiercely opposed by U.S. labor groups.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR2007091701076.html