October 26, 2005 - November 07, 2005
The day before the passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in the US Congress, Global Exchange received word that the US government had called for a meeting in Puebla, Mexico to try to revitalize the talks towards the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas, or FTAA. The Bush Administration will undoubtedly attempt to use the CAFTA passage as a stepping-stone to the FTAA, albeit a wobbly one.
From November 4-5, 2005, the 34 heads of state of the Western Hemisphere countries (except Cuba) will gather at Mar del Plata, Argentina at the 4th "Summit of the Americas," to discuss the rebuilding of the derailed FTAA process (FTAA negotiations broke down in Miami in November 2003 mainly over the high agricultural subsidies that the US government maintains).
