Venezuela supports Trinidad's bid for FTAA HQ

Thursday, October 23, 2003

CARACAS, Venezuela: Victor Alvarez, Venezuela's main negotiator in the Free Trade for the Americas Agreement (FTAA), says his country is supporting a bid by Trinidad & Tobago to become the FTAA headquarters. 

Alvarez says such an organization as the FTAA would have a positive effect on smaller economies. While the majority of Latin America countries follow the US line and plump for automatic solidarity with Miami as HQ, Venezuela says it's time to show that the FTAA is not just for the USA and to assert that weaker economies should feel the spin-off. 

Several Caribbean countries are backing Port of Spain as FTAA HQ but reaching a decision between 34 countries will not be easy. Apart from Miami and Atlanta, Puebla and Cancun (Mexico) are engaged in lobbying campaigns. 

Foreign Ministers scheduled to meet in Miami next month will tackle the thorny question and Alvarez says the only way of reaching a consensus is for some countries and cities to withdraw candidacies ... "that is hardly likely, so it will probably be decided by majority vote ... if the Caribbean and Venezuela vote for Trinidad & Tobago, it will gave that country 17 votes."

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