<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><o:SmartTagType
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="country-region"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="City"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="place"/>
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
h2
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:18.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle21
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<h2><b><font size=5 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:18.0pt'><a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/economy/23533-bogota-mayor-sees-fta-with-us-as-a-threat-to-city.html">Bogota
mayor sees FTA with US as a threat </a><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=createdate><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Thursday, 19 April 2012 07:45 </span></font></span><span
class=createby>Brandon Barrett </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js">
</script><a
href="http://digg.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcolombiareports.com%2Fcolombia-news%2Feconomy%2F23533-bogota-mayor-sees-fta-with-us-as-a-threat-to-city.html&title=Bogota%20mayor%20sees%20FTA%20with%20US%20as%20a%20threat"></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<iframe
src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fcolombiareports.com%2Fcolombia-news%2Feconomy%2F23533-bogota-mayor-sees-fta-with-us-as-a-threat-to-city.html&layout=button_count&width=120&show_faces=false&action=recommend&colorscheme=light&height=20"
style='border-bottom-style:none;border-bottom-width:medium;border-left-style:
none;border-left-width:medium;border-right-style:none;border-right-width:medium;
border-top-style:none;border-top-width:medium;height:20px;overflow:hidden;
width:120px' allowtransparency=true frameborder=0 scrolling=no>
</iframe>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><img
border=0 width=545 height=250 id="_x0000_i1026"
src="cid:image001.jpg@01CD1E42.76E97AA0" alt=FTA title=FTA><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a
href="http://colombiareports.com/travel-in-colombia/bogota.html"
target="_parent" title=Bogota>Bogota</a>'s Mayor <a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombiareports.com/colombia.../9088-profile-gustavo-petro.html"
target="_blank">Gustavo Petro</a> said Thursday that <a
href="http://colombiareports.com" target="_parent" title=Colombia>Colombia</a>'s
recently-finalized <a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombiareports.com/component/tag/free-trade-agreement.html"
target="_blank">Free Trade Agreement</a> (FTA) with the <st1:country-region
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> would hurt <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region></st1:place>'s capital city.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In a
presentation at <st1:City w:st="on">Bogota</st1:City>'s Chamber of Commerce,
the mayor said that the cost of production and delivery of goods to other
countries from the city was much higher compared to other FTA signatories with
the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"We
must make a monumental effort to be aware as a society of the association
between the manufacturing economy and transportation infrastructure which makes
transporting manufactured goods from <st1:City w:st="on">Bogota</st1:City> to <a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombiareports.com/component/tag/venezuela.html"
target="_blank">Venezuela</a>, and <a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombiareports.com/component/tag/ecuador.html"
target="_blank">Ecuador</a> to the <a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombiareports.com/component/tag/united-states.html"
target="_blank">United States</a> cheaper," said Petro.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The mayor
believes that the Colombian government needs to construct railroads in order to
bring down the cost of shipping goods internationally, to allow the full
benefits of the FTA <a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/economy/23432-us-colombia-trade-pact-to-take-effect-may-15.html">which
takes effect May 15</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Colombian
congressmen <a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/23485-colombian-congressmen-file-lawsuit-against-fta.html">said
Tuesday they were filing a lawsuit </a>against the passage of the FTA
because its legislation dealing with intellectual property and Internet access
did not pass through proper Congressional procedures.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>There has
also been <a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/23469-colombias-unions-question-obamas-commitment-to-human-rights.html">fierce
opposition from unions in both Colombia and the U.S. </a>due to ongoing
unionist killings and labor rights violations -- something the Andean nation
was supposed to fully address before the agreement could go into effect.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/economy/23533-bogota-mayor-sees-fta-with-us-as-a-threat-to-city.html">http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/economy/23533-bogota-mayor-sees-fta-with-us-as-a-threat-to-city.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Gimena
Sanchez-Garzoli</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Senior
Associate for <st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region> and
the <st1:place w:st="on">Andes</st1:place></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><st1:State
w:st="on"><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial'>Washington</span></font></st1:State><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Office on <st1:place w:st="on">Latin
America</st1:place></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Tele: (202)
797-2171 ext. 205</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> Cell: (202)
489-1702<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Email: <a
href="mailto:gsanchez@wola.org">gsanchez@wola.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=ES-CO style='font-size:12.0pt'>Website:
</span><a href="http://www.wola.org"><span lang=ES-CO>www.wola.org</span></a></font><span
lang=ES-CO><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=ES-CO style='font-size:12.0pt'>Skype:
WOLAColombia<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Twitter: wola_org <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><i><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'>The
<st1:State w:st="on">Washington</st1:State> Office on Latin America (WOLA) is a
<st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> human rights organization
that promotes democracy and socioeconomic justice in Latin America and the <st1:place
w:st="on">Caribbean</st1:place> through analysis and foreign policy proposals
informed by strong partnerships with civil society counterparts in the region.
Visit WOLA’s website to </span></font></i><i><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-style:italic'><a
href="http://www.wola.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218&Itemid=37"
title="http://www.wola.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218&Itemid=37"><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>sign
up</span></font></a></span></font> for more information or </i><i><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-style:
italic'><a href="http://www.wola.org/donatenow"
title="http://www.wola.org/donatenow"><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>donate now</span></font></a></span></font>
to help WOLA carry out its work.</i><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>