TCP Better Than WTO

Today from 12h00 to 13h00 COSATU will picket outside the US Consulate at 1 River Street, Killarney, (adjacent to the main entrance of the Killarney Mall), in protest at the stance the US government and some European governments in the WTO negotiations on non-agricultural market access (NAMA) and services, which have been taking place in Geneva. A memorandum will be handed over. For further information please phone the COSATU Gauteng Provincial Secretary, Siphiwe Mgcina, on 011 873 2610 or 082 465 8336. Evo Morales, Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, Presidents respectively of Bolivia, Venezuela and Cuba, met in Havana for two days, April 28th and 29th, 2006. The product of their meeting was a detailed agreement as well as strategic statements of principle. See the first three linked historic documents. These Peoples’ Trade Agreements (TCP) are the kinds of international relations people need, not the oppressive, Imperialist, WTO and NAMA. Two days later, on May 1st, workers’ day, in Bolivia, under orders from President Morales, troops moved to safeguard gas and oil production facilities against sabotage or looting following the President’s announcement of nationalisation of these assets. See the report from Granma and the AP story via Yahoo, both linked below. SATAWU is pointing out that in the security guards strike, union members have lost their lives and there are provocateurs involved. See the linked Star report and the SATAWU’s press release upon which it is based. Finally, another invitee’s conference takes place, called “Where Are the Natives? The Black Intelligentsia Today”. This one is describes as “presidential”. See Sipho Seepe’s take on it from the Business Day, linked below. This follows an invitee conference (to which the SACP and COSATU were not invited) on women in Benoni and coincides with Archbishop Ndungane’s invited “African Monitor” reformist affair, opened (like the Benoni gathering) by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. Click on these links: Joint Cuba Venezuela Bolivia communiqué on TCP (578 words) Bolivia joins, signs declaration with Cuba and Venezuela 060429 (308 words) Bolivarian Alternative, agreement between 3 Presidents, 060429 (2289 word) Jubilation over hydrocarbons nationalization in Bolivia, Granma (528 words) Bolivia Military Told to Occupy Gas Fields, Yahoo News (954 words) Our members and leaders are being killed, SATAWU,The Star (565 words) The colour of a searching mind, Sipho Seepe, Business Day (1087 words)