Petition to the Bush Administration, Congress, and Incoming U.S. President

If President Bush implements his threat to remove Bolivia from the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPDEA), more than 20,000 innocent Bolivian workers may find themselves out of a job just as the president leaves his. With the global economy already reeling, Bush's plan would thrust these workers and their families into unemployment in South America's most impoverished nation.

We the undersigned believe that this is a wrong move for the United States – morally, economically, and diplomatically. We call on the Bush administration, Congress, and the incoming administration to extend Bolivia's participation in this trade program.

The victims of President Bush’s move will be women and and men who eke out modest livings as weavers, jewelry-makers and carpenters, creating products for U.S. markets. Regardless of whatever disputes the U.S. government may have with President Morales, it certainly has more reasonable ways of addressing them than putting innocent people out of work, especially in a moment when the world needs all the honest economic exchange it can come by.