The U.S. Senate is expected to vote today on a bilateral free trade agreement with Peru. The agreement had previously been approved by the House of Representatives by an ample margin last month and is expected to be passed by the Senate despite opposition from some Democrats such as presidential hopeful John Edwards.Update: The Senate approved the free trade pact with Peru by a vote of 77-18.
More resistance is anticipated for the U.S. free trade agreement with Colombia, however. President George W. Bush has supported the deal by claiming that it would “help promote regional stability” and counteract the influence of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez. Critics of the pact have argued that Colombia’s labor rights record needs improvement:
President George W. Bush wants Congress to vote on a free trade agreement with Colombia after it finishes work on Peru.
However, that deal is much more controversial because many Democrats feel Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has not made strong enough efforts to stop the murder of trade unionists and bring their killers to justice.
Sources (English)- OregonLive.com, Living in Peru, BBC News, Reuters
Sources (Spanish)- Milenio
Image- Living in Peru
a free trade pact among equals is a good deal!
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