This is especially cause for concern considering the fact international trade agreements supercede local law. All local and national laws must be into accordance with the international trade agreement, even if that means repealing existing ones. This gives Right-wing forces the opportunity to wipe away long fought-for gains, such as environmental protections and labor rights laws, that people in the U.S. and around the world have attained within the last century in a matter of a 60 day period, with only 20 hours total of debate and just a simple majority to approve the measures!
Fast Track makes it easier to pass trade agreements that could override local laws, roll back workers' rights, and environmental protections that increased the power of international corporations. Clinton used Fast Track to pass NAFTA despite widespread popular disapproval.
Now in El Salvador, local FMLN (El Salvador's left-wing political party) governments are building libraries in buildings that were once used as jails and popular markets are built instead of large commercial centers. They have also opened recreation and training centers for the youth. At a national level, the FMLN, together with unions, women's groups, youth groups, peasant associations, etc. are fighting to keep education and healthcare free and accessible for everyone. They are constructing homes for those who do not have one. They seek to give land to those who work the land and create dignified work for those who need it. They want people to be educated and participate in the economic and political decision making of the community, the state, and the country. This is all part of a general plan for the country put forth by the FMLN and the Salvadoran social movement that puts the person, the community, and the environment before profit. This is the alternative political, social, and economic model being constructed in some cities in El Salvador that the Salvadoran Social Movement would like to extend to the whole country. CISPES supports this model and its implementation.
Nevertheless, we see that everything that the people of El Salvador are trying to construct, our government and corporations try to destroy through free trade agreements such as NAFTA for Central America and the FTAA. It is for this reason that we must defeat Fast Track. On the one hand we want to prohibit big corporations from controlling our society and societies in Latin America and on the other hand, we want to ensure that the alternative the people of El Salvador are constructing has a chance to grow and expand.
We will educate the U.S. population and our House members and Senators as to why we oppose Fast Track, NAFTA for Central America and the FTAA. We will demand that our Congressional representatives represent our positions. We will mobilize people throughout the country to join the CISPES anti-Fast Track campaign.
We will pressure congressional members who take the side of corporations through phone calls, letters, visits and will expose them for supporting the interests of corporations over the interests of their constituents. We will also visit them en masse at the September 29th protest in D.C. to express our clear opposition to Fast Track. We will protest and take action; no matter where they go, we will be there.
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