[NYTr] Mexico's Farmers Stonewall US Deal

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com


Mexico's Farmers Stonewall US Deal

Mexico, Jan 2 (Prensa Latina) Though actions blocking imports of
subsidized US grains ended Wednesday, rejection of the North American
Free Trade Agreement keeps growing in Mexico.

In the state of Guanajuato, Archbishop Jose Guadalupe Martin urged the
government to support farmers facing the serious problem caused by the
elimination of tariffs to agricultural products from the US and Canada.
Martin added the Mexican agricultural sector cannot compete with such
foreign products, which entails serious, real risks.

The general secretary of the National Coordinating Office of Educators,
Artemio Ortiz, announced they will hold demonstrations in the capital
demanding a renegotiation of the agreement.

Farmers in Guerrero state, and students from the Autonomous University
in that region gathered in Chipalcingo downtown to denounce the damage
the agricultural chapter of NAFTA causes to the country.

The Emiliano Zapata Farmers' Union called its members to join ranks to
face the loss of national food safety posed by the deal, while the
National Association of Agricultural Commercializing Firms said free
import of corn and beans is a real economic and social catastrophe,
which will result in national insecurity, and affect the country's
governability.

hr dig jrr mf PL-4