The social organizations wanted to hold a joint press conference but the chief negotiator refused.

This Free Trade Agreement is the result of what was first known as an association agreement.

This has caused tension especially in Colombia and Peru, since the right-wing governments of those countries decided to negotiate with the European Union without taking into account a regional perspective, but only unilateral ones.

90% of the negotiations are closed and as it was to be expected, the content of the FTA is completely closed and unknown by the people who will be directly affected by agreements that worsen the crisis that neoliberalism is causing in the southern countries.

A day before the Seventh Negotiation Round of the FTA, on Thursday 19, the Andean social movements and organizations held an Alternative Round because in their opinion “there was not a real space for participation” provided by the Andean governments or the EU.

The main issues dealt with in the Alternative Round were human rights, transnational corporations and labor rights, the FTA with the EU: impacts on life and women’s rights; and impacts of the negotiation on intellectual property rights on the access to health care.

Meanwhile, in the European city of Brussels, actions to demand the halt of the negotiations are also taking place.

Real World Radio’s correspondent in Colombia participated in this event and in the press conference, and he had access to the declaration signed by 221 organizations, demanding the immediate halt of the negotiation round.

The declaration was submitted by Martha Londoñi, member of the Campaign ’My Rights are Not Negotiable’, Raúl Arroyabe, member of the Unitarian Workers Central (CUT), and Hernán López, member of the Cundinamarca Peasant Association (ADUC).