ACTION ALERT: Liberals must stop fast-track of Canada-Colombia free trade agreement (Bill C-2) http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article/235930770-ccfta-bill-c2-coc-action-alert--send-letter-online

These human rights violations are being perpetrated by illegal armed groups, primarily demobilized paramilitary successor groups and non-demobilized  paramilitaries, as part of their economic strategy of territorial domination in order to control drug trafficking and arms smuggling corridors as well as open these territories to natural resource extraction and agro-industrial activities by transnational corporations.

The Canada-Colombia FTA, if implemented, will facilitate increased investment by Canadian corporations in Colombia´s conflict zones, including Canadian mining and other resource extraction activities. Given the extent to which illegal armed groups have infiltrated Colombia´s economy, Canadian corporations run the risk of doing business with murderers, drug traffickers and arms smugglers. Free trade would not create a legitimate economy to compete with the illegal economy, as many Liberal MPs have claimed in defence of the Canada-Colombia agreement. In fact the South American experience with free trade has been one of de-industrialization and increased inequality - exactly the opposite of sustainable development and the protection of core human and labour rights.