Meredith Aby, a leader of the Colombia Action Network slammed the Bush administration’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Colombia stating, “We should oppose the Free Trade Agreement with Colombia because it is an attempt by Bush to promote corporate interests at the expense of the working people of Colombia. Colombia is already the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist. The U.S. has spent billions of dollars supporting the repressive Colombian government which sponsors death squads. These death squads kill and attack trade union organizers and anyone else who questions Colombian President Uribe’s right-wing agenda. This free trade deal would be like adding fuel to a fire.”

Aby continued, “The U.S. needs to drastically change its policy towards Colombia. We need to demand a change from the Bush agenda of free trade and military aid that only promotes poverty and war The Colombian people risk their lives denouncing these policies and we must stop the FTA in its tracks.”

A showdown over this Free Trade Agreement is shaping up in Congress this week.