US Moves to Suspend Trade Benefits for Bolivia

[magbana]

U.S. moves to suspend trade benefits for Bolivia
Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:49pm EDT

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush is moving to suspend
longtime U.S. trade benefits for Bolivia because of that country's failure to
cooperate in drug-fighting efforts in the past year, the top U.S. trade official
said on Friday.

The move reflects the increasingly strained relations between the United States
and Bolivia under the leadership of Bolivian President Evo Morales.

"The Morales administration's recent actions related to narcotics cooperation
are not those of a partner and are not consistent with the rules of these
programs," U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said in a statement.

"We regret that the proposed suspension that is prompted by the Bolivian
government's action could affect hard-working Bolivians," Schwab said. "Once
imposed, the suspension could be lifted as soon as the Bolivian government
improves its performance."

In La Paz, Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca criticized the decision
as "revenge" for Morales' expulsion earlier this month of the U.S. ambassador,
accused by the leftist leader of fomenting violent protests.

"We consider this plan by President (George W.) Bush as yet another aggression
against Bolivian democracy," Choquehuanca told reporters.

He said while Bolivia would like to see trade benefits with the United States
extended, the country would strive to strengthen economic ties with Iran,
Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, India and China.

Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia have received duty-free status for most of
their goods under a program dating to 1991 to help fight the illegal drug trade.

Last year, U.S. imports from Bolivia totaled $362.6 million, far smaller than
from other Andean countries. That included $73 million worth of jewelry and
about $20 million of clothing and household textile goods, as well as $64
million of tin, $46 million of crude oil and $20 million of fuel oil.

The law governing the program requires the U.S. Trade Representative's office to
hold a hearing on the proposed suspension before it takes effect. That hearing
has not yet been scheduled, Schwab's office said.

COCA DISPUTE

Bolivia's recent expulsion of U.S. Agency for International Development
personnel and removal of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officials from the
country's main illegal coca production areas were two reasons behind the
proposed suspension of benefits, U.S. trade officials said.

"A marked increase in cocaine production, the government's failure to close
illegal coca markets, and publicly stated policies that increase
government-sanctioned coca cultivation, have placed in doubt the Bolivian
government's commitment to cooperate in the fight against drug trafficking," the
U.S. Trade Representative's office said.

Choquehuanca denied the claims and said coca cultivation in Bolivia had
increased only by 5 percent.

The decision came one day after five leading U.S. business groups urged the Bush
administration and Congress to consider ending trade benefits for both Bolivia
and Ecuador because of what they described as inadequate protections for foreign
investors in both countries.

The Andean trade preference program will expire at the end of the year unless
Congress renews it. The Bush administration has pushed Congress to extend
benefits for Colombia and Peru, while mulling what to do about Bolivia and
Ecuador.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office said the Bush
administration had not yet decided whether to propose suspending Ecuador from
the program.

Ecuador's ambassador to Washington, Luis Gallegos, said on Friday he was
surprised by the business group's letter

"Ecuador is the only country in the Andean region with zero coca cultivation.
The purpose of (the trade benefit program) is to combat drugs and there is no
better success story in the region than Ecuador in this regard," Gallegos said.

(Additional reporting by Eduardo Garcia in La Paz; Editing by Peter Cooney)


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/message/92575

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[dipsydoodle]

1. The question is, on the day it occurs,

will Bolivia declare a national holiday for not being obligated to buy any more american produce at artificially inflated prices.

[magbana]

2. Youn hit the nail on the head n/t

[Bacchus39]

3. that doesn't appear likely does it?

considering the government has said this:

In La Paz, Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca criticized the decision
as "revenge" for Morales' expulsion earlier this month of the U.S. ambassador,
accused by the leftist leader of fomenting violent protests.

"We consider this plan by President (George W.) Bush as yet another aggression
against Bolivian democracy," Choquehuanca told reporters.

He said while Bolivia would like to see trade benefits with the United States
extended, the country would strive to strengthen economic ties with Iran,
Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, India and China.

[Judi Lynn]

4. LTTE from Florida: Letter: U.S. contributes to Bolivia problems

Letter: U.S. contributes to Bolivia problems
Tuesday, September 30, 2008

really must take issue with your editorial, “Yankee go home, again.”

While Bolivian President Evo Morales is facing domestic problems, these problems have been fomented and encouraged by the U.S. government and Ambassador Philip Goldberg. Violence erupted after Aug. 25 private meetings Goldberg had with the right-wing governor. Throughout Goldberg’s time as ambassador, he has been orchestrating U.S. funding and support to opposition groups in the oil- and gas-rich eastern states.

There are photographs showing Goldberg in Santa Cruz with a leading right-wing business magnet and a well-known Colombian narco-trafficker.

He requested Peace Corps volunteers spy for the United States, a clear violation of their charter. The constitution gives the majority indigenous people land, health, medical, pension and voting rights. Plus equitable distribution of gas, oil and mineral royalties, instead of it going to the wealthy few.

The recent referendum for the Morales presidency and the constitution was approved by 63.1 percent of the population, hardly authoritarian, more democratic.

And why shouldn’t Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez be concerned? Under a Freedom of Information Act request, author Eva Gollinger proved the Bush administration gave financial and material support to the short-lived coup that removed Chavez in 2002.

Chavez has been signing trade deals with the likes of China and India, so soon enough Venezuela won’t need dollars. But you’ll still need its oil.

Finally, on the last line, are you promoting the removal of a democratically elected president? Did you not know that this is illegal under U.S. law (Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 112(b)?

Though I very much doubt anyone from this administration will prosecute, they are too busy overthrowing democratically-elected governments and “spreading democracy.”

Roy Dickinson

Fort Pierce

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the way, John McCain said, during a speech this morning, he intends to cut subsidies to U.S. agriculture, and he personally stated that the subsidies have increased the cost of food to American taxpayers, and he said that it is GLOBAL in its effect, and has inflated food costs to people in other countries.

You can hear it straight from an a-hole Republican these days! You are obviously correct, and your statement is correct eternally until they finally drop this vicious, greedy practice.

[Nambe]

5. Rice is so not welcome here. It is ironic they sent Espinosa to talk to her.

Patricia Espinosa studied International Law at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Switzerland. She was appointed by Calderon primarily to smooth relations with Venezuela and Cuba after Fox mucked it up. A classy, intelligent, powerful, lefty sitting with a war criminal. Rice didn´t do any bragging in their press conference. No doubt Patricia put her in her place before the conference.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Bolivia's miracle of sight

Bolivia's miracle of sight

Wednesday October 22nd 2008

Operation Miracle is a Cuban health programme that provides free eyecare to low-income patients around the world. The brainchild of Fidel Castro, it began in 2004 as a cooperative initiative with Venezuela and has since expanded to 33 countries. In Bolivia, South America’s poorest country, thousands of patients every year have their sight returned to them by Cuban doctors. Yanet Valdez Morales is one of them, a Cuban ophthalmologist whose life's mission is to bring light to the poor:

I was born in Cuba, in Villaclara, where I studied medicine and got my degree in 2004. Since then, I have been dedicated to my chosen profession. My family was always involved in medicine one way or other and I have felt passionately about it since I was a child. All of this has been my engine.

Right after my graduation I had the opportunity, the privilege, of going to Guatemala as a volunteer, as after a hurricane the country was in a state of emergency. Our country was sending doctors to help. Upon my return to Cuba, I was chosen for another "international mission", and this time it was Bolivia.

I’ve been here since February 2006. The project was initially part of an emergency plan to help South America’s poorest country, but because of its nature and success it has become permanent. It’s called Operation Miracle and is aimed at helping poor people with preventable and curable blindness.

At first, patients were sent to Cuba if they needed eye surgery. But soon we started to set up ophthalmology centres in the countries we were treating, such as Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela and of course Bolivia, which is one of the countries that has benefited the most. There are Cuban doctors all over the Americas – and farther away as well.

More:
http://www.guardianweekly.co.uk/?page=editorial&id=774&catID=3