Common Frontiers

The Canadian government should replace NAFTA, or scrap it

comfront — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 21:50:41 +0000

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a trilateral trade agreement between Canada, United States and Mexico that went into effect January 1, 1994. It is the largest agreement of its kind in the world and was implemented in the face of considerable opposition in all three countries.

ALBA Social Movements Canada condemns the attacks against Brazil's Landless Workers Movement

comfront — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 00:29:52 +0000

On the morning of November 4th, 2016, Brazilian military and civilian police used violent force to storm the Landless Workers Movement's (MST) Florestan Fernandes National School (ENFF) in Guararema, outside of Sao Paulo in Brazil. According to several witnesses, the police stormed their way into the facility by forcing their way through the main gate shooting live bullets, and threatening people.

Demonstrators demand Canadian government speak up for murdered Indigenous activist

comfront — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 01:21:34 +0000

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TORONTO – Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the constituent office of the Ministry of International Trade in Toronto on March 11 to condemn Canada's commercial involvement with Honduras, where an award-winning Indigenous environmentalist was murdered a week prior.

Assassination of Berta Cáceres sparks outrage

comfront — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 03:51:31 +0000

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Solidarity and unity in the face of temporary setbacks in Latin America

comfront — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 15:01:59 +0000

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Toronto, Canada -- If there was ever a need to stand in solidarity with the working-class masses and protagonists of the various progressive movements that have swept Latin America in this new century, it is now.

WATCH: Free trade agreements 101/Les accords commerciaux 101

comfront — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 16:24:39 +0000

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Condemning coup attempt in Venezuela by anti-government forces

comfront — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 16:39:35 +0000

Common Frontiers condemns the attempted coup plot orchestrated by anti-government forces to coincide with the commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the violent opposition-led demonstrations last year when more than 43 people were killed.

Canada-Colombia human rights report exercise in futility

comfront — Thu, 22 May 2014 12:10:56 +0000

The Canadian government's third human rights report on its controversial free trade agreement with Colombia, tabled May 16, reads like a marketing brochure for neoliberal economics.

Once again, the annual human rights impact assessment (HRIA) on the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CCOFTA) does little to meet its obligation to analyze the effects of Canadian investment on human rights in Colombia. Instead, the report extols the virtues of pro-market, tariff-reducing free trade policies, with a window dressing of corporate social responsibility.

Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement will deepen conflict

comfront — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 12:29:01 +0000

Civil society organizations from Canada and Quebec are concerned that the Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement (FTA) currently being debated in the House of Commons will further undermine human rights and democracy in Honduras. The debate began days after the inauguration of Juan Orlando Hernandez following highly contested presidential elections.The elections were fraught with irregularities as well as violence, and deemed fraudulent by most independent international observers. The proposed legislation sends the message that Canada rewards illegitimate governments as long as they serve Canadian economic interests.

Goldcorp mine in Honduras extract profits while poisoning land and population

comfront — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 16:40:11 +0000

Hondurans are not lazy, they’re not inferior and they're not communists. They are, however, victims of a (self-devouring) globalized corporatocracy, especially since the military coup in 2009 destroyed the fledgling democracy of president Manuel Zelaya, and reversed his attempts to use public resources for the benefit of Hondurans.

Ever since that transformative moment, freedom and democracy have been extinguished, as have the lives of many peaceful, freedom-loving Hondurans, while those who commit or support these crimes --with impunity -- control the levers of power.

Gildan Activewear Inc. profits from exploitation in Honduras

comfront — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 20:37:39 +0000

In March of 2007, Gildan Activewear Inc., a Montreal-based textile manufacturer, decided to leave Canada for sunnier climes.

The company laid off hundreds of Canadian workers, and resettled where business was good: Honduras. "Free Trade" legislation facilitated the exodus from Canada and powerful psychological operations (psy ops) strategies reassured people at home and abroad. Corporations and their government subsidiaries repeated messaging about "competitiveness and efficiencies" in Canada while Hondurans were promised economic revitalisation and jobs. The end result? Canada lost jobs and Honduras’ asymmetrical, toxic economy was further entrenched.

Canada has blood on its hands in Honduras

comfront — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 21:06:06 +0000

The fight for freedom in Honduras, where many citizens feel caged and shackled, is an uneven contest between the haves and the have-nots.

The despotic National party is allied with the usual suspects: military, police, private security, paramilitary police, corporations, rich oligarchies ... and paid assassins.

The United States, an ally of the transnational corporations that are pillaging this country, has six military bases of occupation, as well as a network of destabilizing influences: a constellation of intersecting trajectories that support the dictatorship of Juan Orlando Hernandez, an outgrowth of the illegal 2009 military coup that overthrew the democratic government of Manuel Zelaya.

Canadian electoral observers question the legitimacy of the Honduran election results

comfront — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 04:14:35 +0000

After careful consideration of our own observations of the electoral process in Honduras, we find the presidential elections to be inconsistent with democratic principles and rife with fraudulent practices.

We are not surprised that the LIBRE party rejected the preliminary projections of the Tribunal Supremo Electoral (TSE).

International election observers head to Honduras

comfront — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 11:03:40 +0000

(Toronto, Ont.) – An international network of human rights organizations will be sending 180 official election observers to Honduras from November 17-27 to observe the upcoming general election, which will be taking place on November 24.

Common Frontiers Canada is coordinating the Canadian based portion of the delegation which will be composed of representatives from various labour organizations, community groups, academics and a former chief of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nations. The mission will travel to various parts of the country to meet with communities and groups impacted by Canadian investment in mining, maquiladoras and the mega tourism sector.

Who benefits from “trade deals”? Not freedom and democracy

comfront — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 14:12:49 +0000

Living conditions in Honduras have gone from bad to worse since the democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya was ousted by a military coup in 2009. The rupture of democratic governance has set Honduras back decades. A study by the Washington-based "Center For Economic And Policy Research"notes that “In the two years after the coup, Honduras has had the most rapid rise in inequality in Latin America, and now stands as the country with the most unequal distribution of income in the region.”. From 2010-2012 the extreme poverty rate has increased by 26 percent. &nbs

Honduras: Trade and investment at the expense of human rights

comfront — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 19:07:06 +0000

As Canadian-based civil society organizations working for social and environmental justice as well as human and labour rights, we strongly oppose the Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement. The lack of democratic and legal guarantees in Honduras is highly troubling -- as are the levels of repression and impunity. In such a context, Hondurans can neither question the impact of trade and investment on their lands and livelihoods, nor reap the benefits of any potential economic growth. As a result, this FTA will put corporate rights ahead of community, human and labour rights.

Honduran human rights vs. Canadian trade policies

comfront — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 15:14:03 +0000

As the Canadian government prepares to sign the Honduras Free Trade Agreement this fall with the country that has the distinction of being the murder capital of the world a delegation from Canada is preparing to visit Honduras to engage with civil society groups and monitor the Honduran presidential elections.

Join us for a discussion on the impact of Canadian investment on Honduran women working in the maquiladora sector. Also meet the delegation preparing to visit Honduras to witness first-hand the impacts of Canadian investment on communities. They will monitor and report on the human rights situation, and presidential electoral process.

Maria Luisa Regalado- coordinator of CODEMUH (Honduran Women's Collective)

Is this how the system works? Canadian government looks away as Pacific Rubiales faces accusations in Colombia

comfront — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 15:32:57 +0000

"The system works. The overwhelming majority of Canadian mining companies are world leaders in responsible mining practices... The corporate social responsibility counsellor's review process is a common sense approach that enjoys broad support within the mining community."

Partnership in bad taste: Harbourfront's Pan American Food Festival partners with rights violator Pacific Rubiales Energy

comfront — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 12:36:10 +0000

It is with grave concern to see the upcoming Pan American Food Festival at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto being sponsored by Pacific Rubiales Energy, a Canadian-based oil and gas company listed on the Toronto and Colombian stock exchanges. Pacific Rubiales Energy has been accused of being engaged in serious human, Indigenous, environmental and labour rights violations in Colombia. These abuses have been well documented by Colombian civil society and also Canadian-based organizations.

Canadian based organizations express solidarity with Colombian rural peasant farmers strike

comfront — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 22:50:25 +0000

We the undersigned organizations stand in solidarity with Colombian rural peasant farmers who along with other members of civil society, including miners, teachers, medical professionals, transport workers, and students have undertaken nationwide strikes. This past weekend an estimated 200,000 people blocked roads and marched peacefully across Colombia to protest the negative impacts on their communities of the U.S.-Colombia and Europe- Colombia Free Trade Agreements.

Canadian based delegation to monitor elections and Human Rights in Honduras - Join us!

comfront — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 22:37:55 +0000

As the Conservative government prepares to sign the Honduras Free Trade Agreement this fall with the country that has the distinction of being the murder capital of the world, Common Frontiers prepares to send a delegation from Canad