THE FTAA

So how does the FTAA come into play in all of this? Well, back in 1994, an agreement between Canada, the U.S.A. and Mexico turned turned these 3 countries into a free trade zone, known as the North American Free Trade Agreement ( aka NAFTA). Economical exchanges were made easier by a few sanctions in the agreement and since then, the U.S.A and Canada have benefitted this much from the agreement, as has the country of Mexico... But at what price? Masses of land in Mexica have been sold to American and Canadian corporations because the minimum wage over in mexico is that much cheaper to dish out than the one in the two more northern countries of America.Corporations make more profit and gain more power. Beautiful beaches in the country have been sold to become vacationing spots for American citizens while citizens of Mexico live a few miles away in total misery. How can an American or a Canadian just sit down at a Club Med and drink a cocktail, relaxing while enjoying the smell and view of the ocean while people are starving a few miles away is beyond me...

In short, Mexico is slowly becoming a land of production for corporations, while Canada and the U.S.A are becoming the places where "clean"administration work is done. Raw and savage capitalism at its highest form...

The NAFTA was but the first step in the whole affair. With the success of such an agreement, the powers that be tried to go for the jackpot and strike up an agreement called the Multilateral Agreement on Investments ( aka as MAI). In short, the MAI would be pretty much the same agreement as NAFTA was... only on a planetary scale... If MAI were to work out, we would be living in a world where capitalist globalization would be in full effect with no stopping it. However, by 1998, so protests against MAI had been so intense and multiple that the MAI was shelved and never heard of again. Among the key figures leading the fight against MAI was Michel Duhammel, of Operation SalAMI, who rallied hundreds of people to blockade MAI-related meetings, mostly through the means of civil disobedience ( hundreds of people sitting down and blocking access to meeting spots of officials).

The first official victory against globalization had been won, but this whole story was but starting...

Realizing that jumping directly to capitalism on a world wide scale may have been a bit to rushed, the powers that be decided to go for another plan; to rally up together all the 34 countries of America, ( including the ones in the NAFTA, and excluding Cuba). The FTAA would be something like the NAFTA on the whole scale of the American countries. As before, social programs, health care, education would fall into the hands of corporations who exist solely for profit in a much easier manner should the FTAA take effect. Also, should the FTAA take effect, capitalist globalization wouldn't be too far behind.. .An agreement simmilar to the MAI wouldn't be too far behind...

The first Summit of Americas would take place in Quebec city from April 20th to April 22nd, where the details of the FTAA would be discussed among the delegated leader of these 34 countries. It also meant that such a meeting had to be stopped at all cost...

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