latin american princesa {LAP}

Oxfam calls the bluff of le président americain Sarkozy. In a press release, (in French) Sébastien Fourmy, spokesperson for Oxfam France, calls Sarkozy’s pledge to double food aid “manufactured” and France’s development policies, at best “incoherent”, at worst, “hypocritical”. He points to France’s unclear support of the EU’s unfair trade agreements (EPAs) with Africa and Caribbean nations, quasi-imposed by the European Commission, and to the drop in aid in 2007 as a percentage of gross national income (0.4%).

For the latest on the EPAs see TRADE-MALAWI: ”If EPAs Are So Good, Why Force Us to Sign?”:

Mutharika went as far as to accuse the EU of “imperialism”.

He was critical of the EU’s stance that EPA signatories will be assisted with money from the European Development Fund (EDF).

“This is imperialism by the EU which we must fight against because the EDF funding has nothing to do with EPA conditionalities. They are doing this in order to punish those that who are not signing their agreements. Now, if the agreement is so good, why do they have to force people to sign?’” asked Mutharika.