Paving the road for
the FTAA
With the next round of the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the
Americas) negotiations coming up this November in Miami, Florida*, I believe
it’s important for us to understand what people are already facing throughout
the hemisphere today so that we can have a better understanding of what would
come with the passage of the FTAA. Currently, there are many structural
adjustment/infrastructure development programs being implemented throughout the
hemisphere, many for the purposes of paving the road (sometimes literally!) for
the passage of the FTAA.
The
following is a list of just some of the destructive “development” projects
being implemented across the hemisphere and their financiers. Most of the
projects are financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Established
in 1959 to "help accelerate economic and social development in Latin
America and the Caribbean", the IDB is the oldest and largest regional
multilateral development institution. It is the main entity promoting the Plan
Puebla Panamá (PPP) as well as providing funding for the IIRSA (the Regional
Infrastructure Integration Initiative, the PPP's southern cousin, which is a
regional infrastructure development scheme for a large part of South America).
*
Proposed Camisea Natural Gas Project, Peru
(IDB Loan) -- The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is currently
considering loaning US $75 million towards completion of Peru's $2.7 billion
Camisea Natural Gas Project, the first major gas development initiative in the
Peruvian Amazon. The project involves the construction of four initial drilling
platforms in the Lower Urubamba Valley of the Peruvian Amazon, two pipelines for
transportation of natural gas and liquid natural gas to the Peruvian coast, and
a natural gas distribution network and export facility in Lima and Callao. There
are several serious concerns associated with the social and environmental
impacts of the Camisea project. Not only is the project affecting indigenous
communities known to be living in voluntary isolation, but it is furthermore
located in one of the world's most ecologically prized and pristine primary
tropical rainforests. Exploration, extraction, and transport activities have
already led to degradation and conversion of critical natural habitats and have
opened the way to a potential influx of colonizers, settlers, poachers, and
other extractive industries. Furthermore, the planned gas export facility on the
Peruvian coast would be located in an internationally recognized marine reserve,
and necessary impact studies and alternatives analyses have not been completed. For
more information on this project see: http://www.amazonwatch.org/megaprojects/peru_camisea.html,
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/advocacy/art681.html
*
Plan Puebla Panama (IDB) --
This is a regional integration project that intends to integrate the
infrastructure and economies from the Mexican State of Puebla to Panama,
including the construction of roads, hydroelectric power and maquiladoras. Our
concerns center on potential environmental impacts of these projects and public
consultations necessary to ensure that the interests of indigenous people, small
producers and the rural poor are responded to. For more information on the
PPP see: http://asej.org/ACERCA/ppp/ppp.html,
http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/mexico/ppp/analysis.html,
http://www.mexicosolidarity.org/plan_puebla_panama.html,
http://www.americaspolicy.org/pdf/articles/0204puebla.pdf
*
Cana Brava Project, Brazil (IDB)
-- This hydroelectric dam project on the Tocatins River in Brazil is undergoing
inspection by the IDB's Independent Inspection Mechanism. Concerns include the
lack of adequate compensation given to displaced families and lack of adequate
consultation with those whose livelihoods depend upon this river. For more information: http://www.wrm.org.uy/bulletin/42/Brazil.html, http://www.irn.org/programs/latamerica/index.asp?id=/programs/latamerica/010626.iadbletter.en.html
*The
Bolivia-Brazil Pipeline -- This natural gas pipeline stretches 3000 km from Santa Cruz, Bolivia
to Porto Alegre, Brazil and crosses several important ecosystems. The project
has failed to address environmental concerns as well as concerns related to the
indigenous peoples of the region whose resources are threatened by this project.
For more info: http://www.foe.org/camps/intl/institutions/boliviabrazil.html,
http://www.bicusa.org/lac/bol_brazil.htm
*
The Struggle Against the Yacyreta Dam (WB and IDB Loan)--
The Yacyreta Dam is a joint project of Paraguay and Argentina. It is supposed to
generate 2700 megawatts of electricity. Concerns include the insufficient or
inadequate environmental and social impact mitigation, compensation and
resettlement plans. For more information: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/42/003.html,
www.irn.org
*
Termoelectrica del Golfo project, Mexico (IDB Loan)
-- This is the first ever coke smelting project in Mexico to produce
electricity. The project has been approved by the IDB for review by the
Independent Inspection Mechanism. Parties filing the complaint cite violations
of Mexican national law as well as concern over the lack of pre-existing data
regarding the impacts on the environment and public health.
para más información en español: www.alianzafrentebid.org/biblioteca/mitos.pdf
*
Mexican Mesoamerican Biological Corridor -- Creation of 5 biological corridors that will
connect existing biological reserves in the interest of protecting forest,
coastal, and mountain ecosystems. Main areas of concern have revolved aruond the
participation and consultation of indigenous groups.
For more information: http://www.urban-watch.org/art/HIC-en020827135945.htm
*
Santa Cruz-Puerto Suarez Highway, Bolivia (IDB Loan)
-- Funding the partial paving of a 642 km road connecting Puerto Suarez near the
Brazil-Bolivia border with Santa Cruz in Central Bolivia. Major concerns involve
the environmental impacts on three major ecosystems: the tropical forest of the
Serrania Chiquitanas, the deciduous forests of Chaco, and the wetlands of the
Pantanal.
*
Corredor Sur (Panama) (IFC Loan)
-- A 19.5 km toll highway in Panama City connecting the financial district to
the eastern sector including the international airport. Concerns include erosion
damage, flooding, and inadequate compensation associated with the ressettlement
related to the project. For more information: http://www.ciel.org/Ifi/ifccasepanama.html
*
Land Reform and Poverty Alleviation II, Brazil (WB Loan) -- The second phase of a market-based land reform project enabling poor
individuals and families to purchase their own plots of land. The government has
undertaken land reform programs, and concern exists as to whether the World Bank
project will become an alternative rather than a compliment to the government's
programs.
Faced with all these destructive plans being implemented
throughout the hemisphere without the consent of the people, I believe we need
to concentrate on development alternatives and local autonomy in
decision-making. There are many models being tried throughout the
Americas—many forms of local and regional decision-making and experiments in
sustainable development.
One recent development on that front has been the
Zapatistas’ (the EZLN: Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional, and their
support bases) reassertion of their local autonomous authority. The EZLN has
officially handed over control of the autonomous zones to local authorities that
will function much like town councils. During the August 8, 9, and 10
celebration of the inauguration of these “good government juntas”, a sign
hung on the wall reading “Here the people lead and the government obeys”.
And that is exactly what they propose to do, rule and develop their own land as
they see fit, and make sure the government obeys their authority.
In
a series of communiqués** released in late July of this year, the Zapatistas
stated their vehement opposition to the Plan Puebla Panamá and other
destructive development plans. In addition, they outlined their idea for a
series of local and international development plans that, unlike the above
plans, would be created from the ground up by communities around the world.
There
are also other alternative solutions that have been and are being proposed by
people and organizations throughout the Americas. For example, there is an
entire alternative text to the FTAA, the Alternatives for the Americas, that was
drafted by individuals and NGOs across the hemisphere in 1998 at the people’s
summit in Chile***. And there have been series’ of people’s summits to
counter the official, exclusive summits and negotiations surrounding the FTAA,
CAFTA, and the Plan Puebla Panamá, in which individuals and civil society
organizations have come together to discuss grassroots organization of
resistance, and development of sustainable alternatives for the hemisphere.
The
people of the Americas have shown over and over again that there is hope, that
there is a better way. Especially now, as we in the US see our rights being
restricted and our freedoms being taken away by our own government, we must come
together and demand the right to self-determination of all peoples. We can build
a better world.
And
the time is now.
Notes:
*
for more information about the FTAA and this November’s actions in
Miami, see: www.stopftaa.org
** lea todos los
comunicados en español en: http://www.fzln.org.mx/;
the whole series of communiqués is available in English at: www.utexas.edu/facstaff/Cleaver/aguascalientes.html
*** the text of the Alternatives for the Americas can be
read online in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese at: http://www.web.net/comfront/alts4americas/eng/eng.html.