Berlin’s One-Sided Latino Trade Agreement

Germany moves to consolidate its Latin American resource bases, but at what cost to Latino economies?
 

As part of the German government’s policy of strengthening strategic ties with its overseas suppliers of raw materials, Germany is close to approving an EU trade agreement with two principal members of the Pacific Alliance, Colombia and Peru.

Officially launched in June 2012, the Pacific Alliance is the most powerful trading bloc in Latin America, comprising Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile. Between them these countries account for over 35 percent of combined Latin American gross domestic product. The bloc exceeded rival alliance Mercosur’s exports in 2010 by close to 60 percent.

German-Foreign-Policy.com reports that “The background to this is the high foreign political and economic significance Berlin attributes to the contract. The agreement secures to German enterprises favorable access to the raw materials of both resource-rich countries …” (April 25; translation ours).

The trade agreement was approved by all other EU nations before final consideration by Berlin this week. But warning bells have been sounded as to its effect on Latinos, with suspicions that the wording of the trade agreement heavily favors the European Union.

In a report authored by German researcher Thomas Fritz and published by the Center for Research and Documentation Chile-Latin America (Berlin) and the Transnational Institute (Amsterdam), titled “The Second Conquest: The EU Free Trade Agreement With Colombia and Peru,” grave doubts are expressed about inequalities built into the trade agreement that disfavor Latinos to the benefit of the EU. These inequalities could well result in the loss of land and livelihood of a significant proportion of the peasantry as major corporations enforce their will in the wake of the agreement.

Yet, despite such concerns, one voice that has supported the agreement being rushed to ratification is that of Germany’s Chancellor Merkel.

An Agence France-Presse report observed that last June “German Chancellor Angela Merkel … pressed for the rapid implementation of an EU free trade deal with Colombia and Peru, saying it was a good way to foster growth during the eurozone crisis.

“Speaking after meeting Peruvian President Ollanta Humala, Merkel said: ‘Particularly in a situation where some European countries are having economic difficulties, a free trade agreement with Colombia and Peru is a good sign to promote growth.

“‘Therefore we want it to come into force quickly,’ the chancellor added.”

No consideration here for any perceived detrimental effect that implementation of the trade agreement may cause to Latinos, though the alarm bells are ringing warning of such.

This is consistent with the hard-nosed attitude that Germany has taken toward countries such as Greece and Cyprus in the wake of the euro crisis. It’s akin to declaring, “let the public go hang as long as we gain the spoils,” be it from enforced austerity measures or one-sided trade agreements.

The chancellor’s statement can only mean one thing. Germany now wanting to rush forward with implementing this trade agreement between the EU, Colombia and Peru is definitely, as German-Foreign-Policy.com states, evidence of the “high foreign political and economic significance Berlin attributes to the contract.”

Trumpet subscribers would be well aware that we have long forecast the increasing linkage of the German-empowered EU and Latin America, specifically as a means of the former securing ongoing access to the region’s copious raw materials, much needed as fodder for German industry.

Yet there is another reason that the Rome/Berlin axis, the real driving force behind the European Union, would find a natural symbiosis with Latin America. It relates to the strong cultural connection that exists between the two—a common European language—Spanish—and a common religion—Roman Catholicism.

Though other nations, in particular China, compete for Latino resources and markets, it is this strong cultural connection which will eventually win the day for the rising Holy Roman Empire over all comers seeking to ally in trade with Latin America.

Germany has placed itself in the position of final judge and last signatory to this trade agreement, with its oversight committee due to approve the agreement this week. All other EU member nations and relevant institutions have already signed up to it.

The agreement between the EU and these two Pacific Alliance nations will not be the last such agreement reached between Latin American economies and the EU, or more specifically its lead economy, Germany. Not by far.

In fact, we expect such agreements to come thick and fast even as Germany increasingly reveals its true imperialist motives in the wake of today’s euro crisis.

It is, as Thomas Fritz obliquely infers, akin to the Holy Roman Empire enacting a second conquest of Latin America—this time by trade agreement, rather than by the rapine and pillage of the Conquistadors.

Keep watching this website for regular updates on this particular phenomenon, which is yet another very strong indicator of the pace of the fulfillment of those bible prophecies that reveal the end-time resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire speeding up.

Of course, to Bible students, that is great news, for it bespeaks the acceleration of prophesied world events that quickly lead to our Savior’s return and the installation of the only true and lasting empire of all—the Kingdom of God on Earth!

Read our booklet The Key of David for a breathtaking introduction to that great, near future, event!