NewsWhore
08-27-2009, 05:40 PM
President Leonel Fernandez favors the US stepping up the pressure and imposing trade sanctions on the Honduras coup regime. He proposes Honduras be suspended from the DR-CAFTA free trade agreement to pressure for the reinstatement of the government of Manuel Zelaya.
Fernandez made the recommendation at the XVIII Central American and Caribbean Political Parties Conference organized by the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) in Santo Domingo.
"I would dare to propose an infallible formula so that President Zelaya returns to power: the suspension of Honduras from the DR-CAFTA agreement," said Fernandez. He believes that the trade sanction would get Zelaya back in Honduras "in two or three weeks."
Robert Micheletti has been the de facto leader in Honduras after Zelaya was forced out, six months into ending his term. Zelaya had called for a referendum that would have installed a Constituent Assembly to reform the Constitution so he could remain in power.
In the DR, President Leonel Fernandez himself is almost successful at using his majority in Congress to reform the Dominican Constitution so he can again run for President.
Fernandez commented that it is unfortunate that here has yet been a resolution to the political conflict in Honduras. Fernandez warned that the issue in Honduras affects all countries in Latin American, adding that allowing coup d'etats would bring severe consequences in politics and to the economies.
The Honduras free zone association (AHM) called the formula an "opportunist action" to attract the apparel companies that are installed in Honduras. Guillermo Matamoros said that Fernandez seeks to turn a political situation into a way to recover contracts that were lost to Honduras that offers cheaper labor, electricity and transport costs.
In Honduras, Lidabel Almendares of the Honduras Business Council said that the CAFTA agreement does not contemplate a suspension for political reasons. She says that if the US chose to rescind the agreement any measure would not have an effect until next year. She said Honduras could submit a recourse against this to the World Trade Organization, given that this would be a trade action provoked by a political problem.
The US Embassy in Tegucigalpa already had announced suspending US$16.5 million in military assistance programs to Honduras and is contemplating suspending an additional US$180 million in US aid.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)
Fernandez made the recommendation at the XVIII Central American and Caribbean Political Parties Conference organized by the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) in Santo Domingo.
"I would dare to propose an infallible formula so that President Zelaya returns to power: the suspension of Honduras from the DR-CAFTA agreement," said Fernandez. He believes that the trade sanction would get Zelaya back in Honduras "in two or three weeks."
Robert Micheletti has been the de facto leader in Honduras after Zelaya was forced out, six months into ending his term. Zelaya had called for a referendum that would have installed a Constituent Assembly to reform the Constitution so he could remain in power.
In the DR, President Leonel Fernandez himself is almost successful at using his majority in Congress to reform the Dominican Constitution so he can again run for President.
Fernandez commented that it is unfortunate that here has yet been a resolution to the political conflict in Honduras. Fernandez warned that the issue in Honduras affects all countries in Latin American, adding that allowing coup d'etats would bring severe consequences in politics and to the economies.
The Honduras free zone association (AHM) called the formula an "opportunist action" to attract the apparel companies that are installed in Honduras. Guillermo Matamoros said that Fernandez seeks to turn a political situation into a way to recover contracts that were lost to Honduras that offers cheaper labor, electricity and transport costs.
In Honduras, Lidabel Almendares of the Honduras Business Council said that the CAFTA agreement does not contemplate a suspension for political reasons. She says that if the US chose to rescind the agreement any measure would not have an effect until next year. She said Honduras could submit a recourse against this to the World Trade Organization, given that this would be a trade action provoked by a political problem.
The US Embassy in Tegucigalpa already had announced suspending US$16.5 million in military assistance programs to Honduras and is contemplating suspending an additional US$180 million in US aid.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)