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From: "Dana Aldea" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: ?iso-8859-1?Q?Universal,Caldero'n_revives_the_Puebla-Panama_Plan,Ap? ?iso-8859-1?Q?r_16?Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 15:38:35 +0200 Caldero'n revives the Puebla-Panama Plan OPINION BY KENNETH EMMOND El Universal Lunes 16 de abril de 2007 Could it be that the long-heralded Puebla-toPanama Plan (PPP) will actually get underway soon? Jump-starting this long-neglected project was the purpose of a one-day get-together of what could be called the Puebla-to-Panama Club, last Tuesday in Me'rida. President Felipe Caldero'n was host to six of the seven Central American leaders, plus Jaime Morales, Nicaragua vice-president, and President A'lvaro Uribe of Colombia. The Puebla-toPanama plan was first announced way back in 2001 by then-President Vicente Fox but, like many of Fox blustery announcements, it languished ever since. It's still too soon to say whether anything will develop this time, but based on the end-of-conference communique', it looks as though the leaders worked hard and are ready to put some flesh on the bones of the concept. One encouraging sign was that at the end of the conference, Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Patricia Espinosa said she will instruct the PPP Executive Commission to get going on the agreed-upon agenda and provide a progress report at the next meeting. At the formal dinner on the eve of the conference, Caldero'n said, "My government is determined to create an agenda in Latin America to bring us closer to Central America and the Caribbean with the goal of giving force to the Puebla-to-Panama Plan . Mexico will do her part to realize the dream of a free, prosperous and just region." True, these are only words, but Caldero'n has shown himself to be a man of action in the early days of his administration. The backbone of PPP, and the most costly project, is upgrading 4,000 kilometers (2485 miles) of highway, starting in Puebla and ending at Panama City. That would represent major progress toward integrating the economies of Central America and Mexico. Under current conditions the cost of moving goods over sub-standard roads eats up much of the economic advantage of buying from the low-cost source. The leaders also agreed to take steps to streamline customs procedures at their respective borders, which would be another big step toward regional integration. Money has always been a problem, and the plan calls for an active search for local or international investors for the projects, one of which is an oil refinery to be located in a yet-to-be-decided Central American country. As another sign that he is a realist, Caldero'n backed off Fox's original proposal, under which Mexico was to provide 230,000 barrels of oil a day for the refinery. With the sudden, steep decline in yield from Canterell, Mexico's most productive oilfield, he admitted he could only guarantee 80,000 barrels per day. Instead, the participants will look elsewhere. Colombian president A'lvaro Uribe said he would help make up the shortfall. Member-nations will also investigate lowering their crippling energy import costs by increasing production of ethanol and biodiesel fuels. Co-operation on international security and a stepped-up effort against organized crime and the illegal drug trade also comprised an important part of the agenda. The delegates signed a joint statement asking the United States for more cooperation in their battle against the drug cartels. During a break from the formal agenda, Caldero'n met privately with Uribe to discuss ways Mexico and Colombia can co-ordinate their anti-crime programs. The two leaders also pledged closer economic co-operation. Their countries formed part of the G-3 Agreement, which used to include Venezuela, but Venezuela withdrew last year after President Hugo Cha'vez decided that the G-3 served no purpose in furthering his Bolivarian Revolution. Caldero'n also met with Panamanian President Marti'n Torrijos to discuss a treaty to deal with the issue of double-taxation between Mexicans and Panamanians. The Armed Forces were prepared to deal with expected anti-PPP demonstrations, but only about 50 protesters materialized. Most were environmentalists and members of Mexico's political left. The plan's opponents fear that the PPP will cause environmental damage and will benefit only the upper classes, leaving poor and indigenous people untouched or worse. They have a point. Despite the plan's obvious advantages, as long as there is widespread corruption in the region, there is a real danger that few benefits will percolate down to the lower strata, even though environmental safety and prosperity for all figure prominently in the rhetoric. "We want sustainable development spread equally throughout the region," Caldero'n said. "The goal is to improve the quality of life of those who live in the region, encouraging human development." Integration of Mexico and Central America has been a dream since colonial days, but in previous centuries the problems of transportation and communication proved insurmountable in mountainous Central America. That is no longer the case, though it will take money and political will to pave the way. In his closing address, Caldero'n quoted the late Octavio Paz, one of Mexico's most famous men of letters, saying, "The integration of Latin America is not a dream but a reality that we are building day to day." There will always be doubters, but the Puebla-to-Panama Plan just might be the project that makes integration a tangible force in the life of the region. Kenneth Emmond is a freelance journalist and economist who has lived in Mexico since 1995. You can reach him at [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mx.news.yahoo.com/nacional -- To unsubscribe from this list send a message containing the words unsubscribe chiapas95 (or chiapas95-lite, or chiapas95-english, or chiapas95-espanol) to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Previous messages are available from http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html or gopher to Texas, University of Texas at Austin, Department of Economics, Mailing Lists.
