Brasília, May 6, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - The president of Caritas Brazil, Don Demétrio Valentini, praised the "firm stance" taken by the Brazilian government in negotiations over the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). "True freedom doesn't exist under such unequal conditions," Valentini remarked. In his view, it is a mistake to judge that the agreement will have positive consequences for Brazil, since "free international trade has always been an instrument for the imposition of hegemonies."

The FTAA is one of the topics being debated during the Fourth Brazilian Social Week, which got underway today in Brasília, with the participation of social movements and organizations, such as Caritas Brazil, linked to the Christian and Catholic Church. In a collective interview to mark the inauguration of the seminar, Dom Demétrio said that it is necessary to make the population more aware of important issues like the FTAA, and he stressed the role of the social movements in this process.

The seminar is sponsored by the National Bishops' Conference of Brazil (CNBB), the National Council of Christian Churches (Conic), and the Ecumenical Coordinating Board for Services (Cese), together with social movements and union and student organizations. The discussions will continue through Sunday (9).

Translator: David Silberstein