US Embassy mum on Valley bribe talk

THE AMERICAN Em-bassy has refused to comment on statements made by Trade and Industry Minister, Ken Valley, on Thursday to the effect that the United States was prepared to spend millions of dollars to allegedly bribe governments to support the US bid to be the seat of the permanent headquarters of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Speaking at the Post-Cabinet press conference, Valley noted that the US saw Trinidad as their major competitor with respect to the headquarters.

“US authorities,” he maintained, “are quite aware that being the permanent site of the FTAA Headquarters would bring certain pluses. “It would help Trini-dad and Tobago in the overall positioning of the 2020 vision,” he said. “I know as a fact that the reports out of Miami, which seems to be our main competitor, are that the US is not averse to bribing governments to get their votes,” he added. Valley revealed that TT’s candidacy was well advanced since it already had commitments from 14 Caricom countries and two unnamed Latin American nations. The FTAA, which is scheduled to commence in 2005, is expected to unite approximately 800 million people in 34 countries in the Americas and the Caribbean in a US $13 trillion trading bloc.