[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 64 (Monday, May 16, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E986-E987]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         DEMOCRACY AND DR-CAFTA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DAVID DREIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 16, 2005

  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the importance 
that the Dominican Republic--Central America Free Trade Agreement will 
have on stabilizing the democracies of the participating nations. While 
we have witnessed firsthand the benefits than free trade has on 
emerging democracies, no one is in a better position to describe the 
benefits than President Enrique Bolanos of Nicaragua. His country 
continues to face serious challenges to democratic reform, yet he is 
unwavering in his commitment to DR-CAFTA because he knows it will lead 
to further democratic progress.
  Last week, President Bolanos gave an address at the Nicaraguan 
Embassy here in the United States where he presented Senator Richard 
Lugar and Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick with the Order of Ruben Dario, 
the highest honor of Nicaragua. I am including his remarks in the 
Record to reiterate to my colleagues that this trade agreement is about 
far more than trade.

                Speech by H.E. President Enrique Bolanos


                   Embassy of Nicaragua--May 13, 2005

       Distinguished Guests and Dear Friends: I am in the United 
     States this week with my

[[Page E987]]

     fellow Central American Presidents. Together, we are here as 
     the singular voice of Central America bringing a crucial 
     message to the United States Congress. That message is as 
     simple as it is important: pass the Central American--
     Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement and pass it as 
     quickly as possible.
       There is a common misunderstanding about DR-CAFTA in the 
     United States. The misunderstanding is that DR-CAFTA is 
     primarily about trade. Yes, it is true that DR-CAFTA will 
     bring very important trade and economic benefits to both the 
     United States and to the nations of Central America and the 
     Caribbean. This is an undeniable fact. But to truly 
     understand DR-CAFTA, you have to get underneath the surface 
     and see what DR-CAFTA is really about. In its central core, 
     DR-CAFTA is really about ``democracy.'' It is about rewarding 
     a region who has fought so hard to build their democratic 
     institutions and increase the security of the region.
       Democracy has made very important gains in Central America 
     in the last 15 years. But many of those gains are not 
     irreversible. As we have seen recently in some of the 
     countries of South America, some people are beginning to 
     question whether democracy and free markets can solve their 
     country's problems. But they are wrong. This well-negotiated 
     free trade agreement will consolidate the democratic gains 
     and ensure that the region does not back slide into the 
     insecurity and violence of previous decades. DR-CAFTA binds 
     the United States and Central America not only economically, 
     but more importantly, democratically. DR-CAFTA should be seen 
     for what it really is: a chance to lock in the democratic 
     future for Central America with all economic and security 
     benefits that implies for the United States. I want all 
     Americans, particularly members of Congress, to understand 
     that CAFTA is a democracy issue more than a trade issue.
       Today, Nicaragua's democracy faces a new set of threats. 
     Yesterday's enemies of democracy used pure military force. 
     Today's enemies of democracy have evolved and refined their 
     techniques. Today's enemies of democracy leave the outside 
     facade of democratic institutions intact, while at the same 
     time they hollow out these institutions from the inside, 
     leaving nothing but the hollow shell.
       Unfortunately, this is exactly what the enemies of 
     democracy are attempting to do in Nicaragua. As many of you 
     who are following events in Nicaragua know, democracy is 
     under a direct threat. The assault is being led by what the 
     Economist magazine called an ``unholy alliance'' of the 
     extreme left, led by Daniel Ortega, and of the extreme right 
     led by ex-President Arnoldo Aleman who is currently serving a 
     20-year prison sentence. Together these two party bosses, or 
     caudillos, as we say in Spanish, are attempting to dismantle 
     some of democracy's most sacred principles--principles such 
     as checks and balances and the independence of the 
     judiciary--principles without which no democracy can be 
     called a democracy.
       When the military dictatorship was ended and freedom was 
     restored to our country in 1991, many believed that progress 
     towards building fully functioning democratic institutions 
     would be linear, that is to say forever upward on a steady 
     course. This has not been the case, however. And once again 
     those who value democracy and believe in democracy for 
     Nicaragua are being called to the ramparts to defend it.
       My administration will never cease to fight for the 
     independence of the judiciary, will never cease to fight for 
     the separation of powers, will never cease to fight against 
     corruption by government officials. And my administration 
     will fight on every front: we will rally Nicaraguan people 
     who crave democracy and functioning democratic institutions; 
     we will fight to enforce the ruling of the Central American 
     Court of Justice which in a historic decision on March 29, 
     2005 ruled against the attempts of the Nicaraguan National 
     Assembly to strip the Presidency of its powers and declared 
     it a violation of the principle of separation of powers. And 
     we will fight if necessary in the Organization of American 
     States with its wonderful and powerful Democratic Charter. 
     And we will fight with the help of the many friends of 
     Nicaragua that are here tonight who have supported the cause 
     of freedom.
       Finally, I would like to point out, only eleven days ago, 
     on May 1st at the May Day ceremonies in Havana, Cuba, Daniel 
     Ortega was hugging the dictator Fidel Castro and calling the 
     United States ``an enemy of humanity.'' This would be a scene 
     intimately familiar to both of our honorees here tonight from 
     their days of defending democracy in the 1980s. All of which 
     proves that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance, and 
     with the help of all our friends here tonight, together we 
     will meet the new challenges with the same courage and 
     resolution that was brought to the earlier challenges to 
     democracy in Nicaragua in the past.

                          ____________________