Congressman David Rivera: "What is President Obama Thinking?"

Statement

President Barack Obama will visit Latin America from March 19th to the 23rd, but the visit will not include stops in Colombia or Panama, two countries that have pending Free Trade Agreements with the United States.

Congressman David Rivera (FL-25) questions the White House's decision to ignore Colombia and Panama:

"What is President Obama thinking?," Rivera said.

"The White House has said that the President's trip to Latin America is meant to provide an opportunity to engage key bilateral partners in the hemisphere and to advance America's efforts to work as equal partners to address economic and trade issues. Yet the two countries with which we have Free Trade Agreements pending are ignored?

"Colombia one of our best allies in Latin America and the oldest functioning democracy in the region. Passing the Colombia Free Trade Agreement would eliminate trade barriers and immediately boost U.S. exports to Colombia. U.S. GDP would increase by roughly $2.5 billion and exports by over a billion, creating thousands of jobs in the United States," Rivera continued.

"As with Colombia, the United States is Panama's largest trading partner. In 2008, the U.S. had a trade surplus with Panama totaling $4.3 billion, the eighth-largest surplus maintained with any U.S. global trading partner. Panama is also in a strategic global position that is a natural crossroads for commerce, especially between the United States and other Latin American countries.

"It is crucial to ensure economic stability in Latin America. Approving pending Free Trade Agreements with Colombia and Panama and the extension of the Andean Trade Preference Act, which will especially help Colombia maintain a stable and fully functioning economy, are steps in the right direction to keep trade avenues open between the United States and Latin America.

"The President should be making positive foreign policy gestures to countries like Colombia and Panama; reliable allies that are willing to do business with the United States. It is very disappointing that the White House has decided to ignore these two Latin American nations during the President's visit to the region."

Source