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Repiglican Roast

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Name: TheFuriousGourmet

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Friday, November 24, 2006

US Colombia trade pact is decried

When union president Gregorio Melendez was shot to death as he left work in September, his murder seemed just another statistic in a country where labor organizing is a deadly endeavor.

But the still-unsolved killing of Melendez, who headed a municipal workers union in the Amazon River basin town of Arauca, and the assassinations of 55 other Colombian labor officials this year have suddenly become a pressing issue in Washington.

That's because American and Colombian officials are expected to sign an agreement today in Washington that is aimed at boosting U.S. exports and decreasing Colombia's dependence on drug trafficking.
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