U.S. suspends trade deal with Bolivia

During a White House ceremony last week, President George W. Bush threatened with cutting off trade benefits to Bolivia. “Bolivia has failed to cooperate with the United States on important efforts to fight drug trafficking” said Bush after Bolivia was placed on a counternarcotics blacklist.

Yesterday, those threats became reality:

The United States is suspending a trade deal with Bolivia, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday. She called it unfortunate but necessary because Bolivian President Evo Morales had failed to improve anti-drug efforts.

Morales, in response, blasted the suspension as “an economic blockade” and claimed that the trade cuts will cause over 20,000 workers to lose their jobs. (The U.S. is the third-largest trading partner to Bolivia).

Bolivian foreign minister Luis Alberto Arce has traveled to Washington to meet with legislators and convince them to reinstate the trade benefits. “We will present statistics that show that this decision was unjust” said Arce.

Image- Al Jazeera English
Sources (English)- Al Jazeera English, The Latin Americanist, New York Times
Sources (Spanish)- Reuters America Latina