In the shadow of Olneyville's long abandoned Atlantic textile mill, opponents of free trade warned that more American factories will close and conditions for workers throughout the Western Hemisphere will worsen if the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement becomes law.

On Sunday, April 24, more than 125 people packed into the basement of St. Teresa's Church on Manton Avenue in Providence to commemorate the 1980 assassination of archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador and decry the power of corporations.

FTAA, a treaty that seeks to expand the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) through all of Latin America except Cuba, was the main target of speakers from the Alliance for Responsible Trade, which is touring New England to organize opposition to the pact.

Macrina Cardenas, legislative coordinator for the Washington-based Mexico Solidarity Network, said NAFTA had been a "disaster" for Mexico. Opening Mexican markets to low-priced American corn has ruined thousands of small farmers, and the invasion of large American chain retailers has bankrupted many small storeowners. As a result, she added, illegal immigration into the US from Mexico has soared.

Cardenas also blamed NAFTA for the privatizing of Mexican telephone and electricity companies and the weakening of independent unions. By making it easier for corporations to move factories to other nations, NAFTA has discouraged Mexican workers from organizing and risking the closure of their plant, Cardenas explained.

Cardenas's grim message was balanced by Brazilian Maryknoll missionary David Kane's report. "We have a good chance to shut down this FTAA," Kane stated, prompting applause from the audience of Hispanic parishioners and American-born anti-globalization activists. Venezuela opposes the pact and Cuba is actively working against it, he said. Brazil is also hesitant, Kane noted, especially after President George Bush recently placed tariffs of up to 30 percent on imported steel and Congress retained the authority to negotiate trade rules for 300 key products.

Meanwhile, he observed, Argentina's economic collapse after the World Bank refused to grant additional loans shows the dangers of neo-liberal economic policies.

To spur opposition to the trade pact, Kane noted, FTAA opponents in Latin America are holding plebiscites in churches and community halls. Millions of people have voted in the non-governmental balloting, he reports, generating publicity for the anti-FTAA cause. Locally, the Rhode Island Global Action Network is organizing busloads of Rhode Islanders to protest at the April 20 meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington. For more information call (401) 521-6031.

Issue Date: March 29 - April 4, 2002