This is what activist Grace Garcia from COECOCeiba Costa Rica said during her presentation at the Meeting of Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) that took place this weekend in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Grace talked about the struggle against Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the US, the negotiations in Central America around an Association Agreement with the European Union that will be ratified this year, and the impacts of these on national economies.

“Our democracies are weak against the corporate power”, was one of her conclusions.

She also made reference to the features of the so-called green capitalism. She spoke of “greenwashing and green economy” and that the governments act supposedly to favor environmental issues, as in the case of carbon credits in Costa Rica or the REDD mechanisms in Brazil.

“We have to think that another economic model is possible”, said García, citing as an example the experiences carried out by the Peasant Movement from Santiago del Estero (Mocase) in Argentina.

Photo: http://www.johanneswilm.org/