Fair Trade in the CAFTA, Fair Trade for Nicaragua?

Editors Note: The Central American Free Trade Agreetment (CAFTA) is a serious problem for Nicaragua. Colleen Gilbert, a U of M student is currently a PML volunteer in León. Here is the first of several reports from Colleen featuring interviews with Nicaraguans to inform and guide us to assist our legislators in fashioning an appropriate agreement."

Yaniree, an extremely intelligent lawyer here in León, joked about a time she talked to a group of women about Trato Libre Comercial, ‘the Free Trade business.’ When she first asked the women if they knew what Free Trade was about, they sat in silence, pondering. Finally one of the women lit up with excitement and declared, "I know, TLC is a popular music group from the United States!" That woman, sadly, is just one of the many Nicaraguans who remain unaware of a policy that will greatly affect their country.

As I interviewed consejo members and other citizens here in León about the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and the whole concept of global free trade, I learned that many, many people here don’t really know much about it. They have heard about CAFTA, even seen stories about free trade on the TV or in the newspapers but most are not actually educated about it. In fact, only a reported 8% of Nicaraguans thoroughly understand what CAFTA is all about.

Doña Idalia, a member of PML’s Nicaraguan Consejo, seems among the 8% who are well informed and she made some impassioned points when I interviewed her. Doña Idalia told me, "No one knows what to do. People in the campo (countryside) need to be educated about CAFTA and learn what they will need to do to survive." Since the majority of Nicaraguans are small farmers or some sort of vendor, she continued, global free trade, as proposed in the current CAFTA provisions, will bring devastation to the economic activities of the average Nicaraguan and will be extremely disruptive to the majority of the population. In fact, the current economic activities of these people may even be irreplaceable under CAFTA as proposed. So far, Doña Idalia pointed out, the only thing the average Nicaraguan has learned about CAFTA is to have fear of what is to come.

It has been said that Nicaragua as a country is growing in a different direction than its people. The constant drive to get out of debt only brings on more debt and division between Nicaragua and all but the richest of the people who live here. Doña Idalia stated that "CAFTA is a major disaster for the poor of Nicaragua. Nicaragua deserves to be able to compete on a fair level with the United States. We have less technology, less capacity and less resources and everybody knows it. CAFTA could and should be fashioned to provide opportunity for common Nicaraguans. We can compete globally if we all work together globally in a spirit of community. We just need help to spread that awareness to all of Nicaragua and to the United States."

Unlike some of you reading this right now, I have to say I never really used the word ‘advocate’ and myself in the same sentence before. I knew what advocacy meant and I knew people and organizations who participated in advocacy, consciousness raising and action, but I never saw myself working beside them. As I learn about the struggles of people here in Nicaragua, I can’t help but think I was meant to be an advocate all along! I want to tell the reader: If you believe that CAFTA is not a problem of huge importance to Nicaraguans, you are wrong!

Yaniree has a few clarifying words for all of us who are confused by the complexity of CAFTA: "The economic conditions in Nicaragua are already so bad that we absolutely cannot let it get worse. It is not a lack of food here that is killing people through hunger. Like an invisible gun, the unhealthy economy being created in Nicaragua by global policy makers is not something you directly see but it does kill you." Global movers and shakers "are killing the future of the poor, as well."

We can better the future for the poor. I am determined to spend my next months learning and helping raise citizen awareness here and in Minnesota. I will provide specific information to guide Minnesotans willing to petition for change in U.S. global economic policy. My name is Colleen Gilbert and I am an advocate for the rights of Nicaraguans!