Washington Post Editorial on Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)

Hat Tip to RealClearPolitics.com Full editorial at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/25/AR2005072501352.html

The Stakes in CAFTA Washington Post Editorial Tuesday, July 26, 2005

"Most House Democrats don't want to hear this; they claim that CAFTA is opposed by "pro-poor" groups in the region. But this claim is troubling on two levels.
- First, CAFTA would actually help the poor: It would create 300,000 new jobs in shoes, textiles and apparel; it would create a new mechanism for enforcing labor rights; and a World Bank study has found that the vast majority of poor families in the region would gain from the deal.
- But second, the defeat of CAFTA would help not anti-poverty movements but anti-American demagogues, starting with Mr. Chavez. For them, the retreat of the United States from partnership with Central America would be a major victory."