Free Trade Agreements and Human Rights.

My first link, http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=e147dbd8-0165-44ee-83f3-5a3f8fa6eada is a short report on how last month, Canada and Colombia signed a free trade agreement called the CCFTA. Given the corporate-related source, it is no surprise that the report limits itself to numbers and benefits for those invested (or looking to invest) in both markets. 


Now, how does this free trade agreement connect to human rights in Latin America? 


My second link, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-13/trade-deals-wed-obama-to-republicans.html is a Bloomberg.com article on a recent speech given by President Obama to his nation's congress. In a nutshell, it narrates how Obama pushed and lobbied hard for the stalled free trade agreements that have divided U.S. political interests: South Korea, Colombia and Panama. The article points on how, after his speech, the president received a standing ovation...from the Republican party members! The truth is that ever since a trade deal with Colombia, such as the one Canada so eagerly signed, has been opposed by a faction of the democratic party due to the country's shoddy record with human rights, in particular around labour. To quote the article, "Representative Sander Levin, a Michigan Democrat, said he won’t support the Colombia deal because its government fails to protect workers from intimidation and violence." 


One the one hand, the U.S. trades with multiple trade partners with shoddy H.R. records that I don't need to single out here, as we can all think of a handful of examples. Why picking up that labour and human rights banner in such a specific case as Colombia? And how does it reflect on our Canadian govt. and society in general when we quietly and successfully sign a trade agreement with a nation that does truly have a laundry list of murder, extortion and torture charges targeted towards union organizers and rights activists?