and CAFTA are part of a broader initiative by the Bush Administration to create the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The FTAA's goal is to create a free-trade zone throughout the Western hemisphere.
The Bush Administration has already discussed with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua their interest in a free trade agreement. In fact, these countries met in Managua in September 2001 to explore ways to forge closer economic relations and advance free trade. In March of 2004, Keith Koffler of CongressDaily reports that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative indicated widespread support for CAFTA among industries and other groups
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