Free trade threatens public health and the democratic future of Bolivia, was the central message of campaigners who demonstrated in La Paz today.

Health workers from across the country led a demonstration and march of many organizations calling on the Bolivian Government to reject a proposed Free Trade Agreement with the US.

The demonstration was part of a series of actions held by campaigners across Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia to coincide with the 12th and possibly final round of negotiations in Colombia. 

“The current transitional government does not have the authority to sign an agreement that puts public health at great risk,” said Jose Gonzalez, President of the Federation of Health Workers of Bolivia. Committing support from 15 federations across the country, he vowed: “We are here today to launch a major fight against the privatization of health.”

The Government is currently participating in the negotiations as an observer but is under considerable pressure to sign a deal which would fundamentally affect Bolivia’s future by imposing agreements in areas of investment, public health and services such as health and education, and within agriculture.

The current Government led by President Rodriguez was established in June as a transitional government, whose mandate is oversee the process of elections of a new Government that will take place in December.

Pablo Solón, from Fundación Solón expressed his deep concern at reports that the Bolivian Government might sign a free trade deal saying that “it can not tie the hands of future governments or put a strait jacket on a Constituent assembly” which is due to meet in July 2006 to design a new constitution for Bolivia.

Solón said: “We believe instead that the Government must inform the population about the proposed Treaty, and open up a debate with all citizens on its possible impacts.”

He spoke specifically of the dangers that a free trade agreement would result in for health, as it would enforce the use of patented medicines that could lead to a big increase in the costs of medicines in a population where 60% live under the poverty line.

He also noted that nationalization of gas which is overwhelmingly backed by Bolivians would be “practically impossible” under a Free Trade Agreement.

“Of course we want to export and sell our goods, but it can not be done at the cost of the health of the population or losing our natural resources,” concluded Pablo Solón.

Engineer Enrique Mariaca, President of the Committee to Defend National Patrimony, said a free trade agreement with the US would put Bolivia into a “new state of colonization which we have already suffered for many years especially since the industries were capitalized… It will put us further under the dominion of multinationals and institutions like the IMF and World Bank.”

He said there were alternative systems of trade such as ALBA proposed by President Chavez of Venezuela that enabled “trade based on solidarity and dignity.”

Free trade is killing us,” concluded Benedicta Willka on behalf of the Bartolina Sisa Campesina Federation. “We must stop them patenting our natural resources, our medicines, our food, our culture and our education.”