1.- My vote is against the FTAA and other "free trade"
agreements, such as European Union – Mercosur FTA, because
they are built on a lie: free trade is a fallacy. There is
no good or service freely traded in the present world.
Subsidies, government incentives, exchanges among companies
of the same transnational corporation, exchanges among
transnational groups, and all restrictive competence
practices affect prices and distort markets. Free trade
agreements mean freedom for corporations and captivity for
nations and peoples, especially for those living in the
poor Southern hemisphere.

2. My vote is against the FTAA and "free trade" because if
it is signed, countries will no longer have the right to
define and manage their own development plans. They will be
vulnerable to corporate interests and companies and banks´
plans to maximize their benefits and their presence in
world markets. Latin American and Caribbean peoples'
concerns and rights would be subordinated to that priority.
Not even the peoples of the two rich countries of the
continent – the United States and Canada – would win with
the FTAA! The winners would be huge private corporations
whose goals are not linked to national concerns, goals that
are determined only by their owners and shareholders.

3. My vote is against the FTAA and "free trade" because if
the Brazilian government eventually signs the FTAA or the
European Union – Mercosur FTA, it would mean the weakening
of the State versus transnationals, and of the Federal
Constitution versus corporate interests. It would also mean
the end of municipal and state governments' power, as it
would build another territoriality, controlled and managed
not only from outside the region but, also outside the
country.

4. My vote is against the FTAA and "free trade" because
municipal elections define the future of our cities, and
"free trade" agreements can limit local governments'
capacity to define policies and run their own territory.
The FTAA would force them to submit government procurement
contracts to international bids. That means that employment
and infrastructure would decrease in our cities. It also
means that they would be forced to open strategic services
– education, health, sanitation, security, communication –
which should never be given to foreign companies!

5. My vote is against the draining of public budgets to pay
financial debts. According to the Fiscal Responsibility
Law, local governments are now forced to adjust their
budget priorities to paying financial debts first, to the
detriment of the payment of social debt of work, housing,
health, education, drainage, healthy environment, etc. This
law is part of IMF conditions.

6. My vote is against agreements developed under the "free
trade" ideology, because they force signatory countries to
revise their policies of environmental protection of
sovereign defined areas, in the light of transnational
groups' interests hidden behind free trade agreements.
These agreements (FTAA, CAFTA, European Union – Mercosur,
WTO, and bilateral agreements) create legally binding
obligations and which do not respect local, state or
national legislation. This is already happening in Mexico,
after the signing of NAFTA (Mexico, USA, Canada, free trade
agreement). Several foreign companies sued governments in
an arbitration body of the World Bank and won, receiving
millions of dollars in compensation.

7. My vote is against agreements marked by "free trade"
ideology because, water and sanitation are essential for
health and life quality. Those agreements aim at turning
them into another business for transnational corporations.
Have you considered that each glass of water or each plate
you wash will generate benefits for companies which would
send it abroad in foreign currency?

8. My vote is against fiscal adjustment policies, against
the priority of financial debts and against "free trade"
agreements because they prevent the country from creating
and implementing economic development policies with
benefits and wealth distribution. Without not only economic
but also human and social development policies oriented to
overcoming inequalities and injustices, it won't be
possible to fight the unemployment that many people in our
cities suffer. Today's priority is not people but the
market and the so-called "investors". This is evident just
by reading the newspapers and watching television.

9. My vote is against the FTAA and financial debts because
they facilitate the knowledge created in the country and
our national resources being appropriated by huge foreign
companies. This is already happening as a result of the
unpatriotic patent law. But if the FTAA is signed, Brazil
will formally be committed to abandon its sovereignty over
biodiversity, traditional knowledge and indigenous
production and consumption practices. This would affect
local communities and cities even more and it would
increase their dependence on imported knowledge and
technology.

10. My vote is against free trade agreements and the FTAA
because they promote consumerism, individualism and a
materialistic society, where the rich became even richer
and the poor became even poorer. Finally, what do we want?
Do we want to live happily, enjoying human relations based
on solidarity, friendship and coexistence? Do we want to
preserve and nurture our values and festive customs, in a
fair society? Do we want to defend our sovereignty and
freedom? Or do we want to be treated as consumers fooled
and anesthetized by publicity? The dream of a better
society and an effective participatory democracy is built
from communities and cities. Let's make that dream come
true!

Sow these ideas!
Life is not a business!
Yes to sovereignty and solidarity!
No to free trade!

My vote is against the FTAA, Free trade and Foreign debt!

For further information visit: www.jubileubrasil.org.br