The U.S. government will require detailed information about the Colombian
market, labor laws and the social responsibility of businesses before
it will sign a free trade agreement with Colombia.
Speaking at the Assembly of the Colombo-American Chamber in Bogotá, Colombian Ambassador in Washington Carolina Barco said that Obama’s government wanted to have a greater understanding of Colombia.
The main objective of the Colombian diplomatic delegation has been to obtain support for a Colombian-American free trade agreement from US Congressmen, officials, businessmen and opinion leaders. Following the partial reelection of the U.S. Congress, there are fifty new politicians to meet. So far the Colombian delegation has met with a third of them to impress upon them the mutual importance of a free trade agreement.
Barco and her team supported the recent visit of ten U.S. Congressmen to Colombia. During the visit Democrat Representative Steny Hoyer expressed his support for a free trade agreement and promised to work with the Obama administration to develop the agreement.
The U.S has expressed reluctance to ratify the agreement in the past because of Colombia’s human rights and labor laws record.
Barco said that patience was required to create a favorable political climate in which to negotiate the agreement. She said she was confident the agreement will be ratifed by the U.S.