Trade and Rights
by Vivekananda Nemana
Two years ago, President Bush made one of the best decisions of his term by signing the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade agreement.
Anyone who has taken even the most basic international economics course knows that any free trade agreement is mutually beneficial to all countries involved. But Colombia has a deplorable human rights record, filled with violence against union workers and illegitimate executions by the army. The agreement should pass by all means, but only with a guarantee that Colombia's rights record is sufficient. The United States needs to demonstrate both its interests in free trade and in human rights.
The Democratic majority in Congress has not yet approved the agreement because of these concerns over Colombia's human rights (as well as some less-than-noble motives, including catering to worker unions and denying Bush a foreign policy gain). The delay has encouraged Colombia to make substantial progress—military violence is down, and special prosecutors have been established to handle unsolved murders.
But it isn't enough. The Human Rights Watch released a report late last November stating that at least 41 trade unionists (still portrayed as "guerillas" by Colombian officials) were killed in 2008. This number is far too high, In fact, Colombia has the world’s worst record on assassinations of trade union members, with 2,685 unionists reportedly murdered since 1986. Moreover, more armed groups that harass and kill union members—in addition to extra-judicial military executions-emerged last year. And the special prosecutors have apparently delegated the majority of their cases to ordinary prosecutors who lack the resources to pursue them. Approving the agreement now sends off a subtle signal that the U.S. condones these practices in the interest of commercial pursuits.
There is no simple answer to this problem. The U.S. cannot afford to blow off the trade agreement completely, nor sign it now. But it really needs to do more than wait. It needs to act. The U.S. must use the leverage from the trade agreement and its aid to Colombia to make human rights improvements happen sooner, which will in turn allow free trade to begin more quickly.
What sets the Colombian human rights issue apart is that, unlike most South American nations, Colombia has a real economic incentive to improve its human rights record. Money, after all, is the strongest diplomatic language. The free trade agreement will enable huge revenues for Colombian producers from a large American market, as they sell goods for cheap that Americans want to buy. The U.S. also gives Colombia about $600 million a year in military and anti-narcotics aid. That's certainly reason enough to take a strong stance on rights.
And as the U.S. encourages the Colombian government to improve human rights, it must be careful not to let the free trade deal collapse. That would insult the sacrifices Colombia has made for the deal so far, some of which have aroused trouble with neighbors Bolivia and Ecuador. The trade agreement has many benefits for the United States as well. Many U.S. exports to Colombia presently face high tariffs that could be eliminated. The Americans for Tax Reform interest group estimates that the agreement would add $4 billion to the U.S. economy, especially useful during a recession. The agreement also strengthens its ties with an important ally in an unpredictable area of the globe. Rejecting the treaty would send the message that the US is an unreliable trading partner, further weakening the already sour perception of the country.
This is an issue of balance, of pursuing what is both economically and humanely best for both countries.
Ultimately, the free trade agreement is a chance for the United States to demonstrate it is ready for a new image with a new president, especially after the Bush administration's human rights blunders with Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. We Americans can show that we do care about human rights, as well as being a good trading partner. If president-elect Obama is shepherding us into a new era, then the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement should be a part of it.
