MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Winners and losers in Miami.

Colombia, Peru and Central American countries were among the main winners of the recent Miami Free Trade Association of the Americas, FTAA, ministerial summit, while Canada, Chile and Mexico can be listed as half losers and Venezuela a total looser, according to Andrés Oppenheimer Latinamerican analyst for “The Miami Herald”.

The more flexible FTAA of the Miami Declaration ("light" compared to the original "ambitious" 1994 version) that allows for different "tempo and objectives" could benefit countries such as Brazil and Argentina that are not totally convinced of FTAA merits.

However, Mr. Oppenheimer points out that Colombia and Peru together with Bolivia and Ecuador are in the leading group since they all signed agreements (contemplated in the Declaration) with the US to begin bilateral free trade negotiations in 2004.

In a second group come Panama and Dominican Republic that will also hold bilateral talks for a free trade agreement with the US, although they don't have the political and strategic muscle of Colombia and Peru, but could emulate the current talks with Central American countries.

Canada, Chile and Mexico that already have trade agreements with the US will now face increasing competition to their privileged position.

As to President Bush's administration and Brazil, co-chairs of the Miami talks, they ended easing their strong positions and saved FTAA, which was vital given the chain of "recently failed trade talks in Seattle, Cancun and Port Spain".

The US managed a "light" FTAA which opens the way for selective (strategic) bilateral agreements. Brazil's President Lula da Silva that originally described FTAA as "a US annexation attempt" and insisted the timetable be extended to 2007 finally accepted the basic framework agreement, which it co-drafted, and the 2005 target.

Besides, Brazil emerged from Miami without the reputation of the "bad boy" of the party plus chances of negotiating a limited agreement with the US.

Mr. Oppenheimer identifies Venezuela as the big looser since from the start President Hugo Chavez attempted to torpedo the Miami meeting and ended being left out of the Andean bilateral talks with the US.

"The Miami Herald" anticipates the FTAA agreement will finally be signed as scheduled in 2005, however the flexible FTAA will look more as a "club" with first rate preferential members and others who will be "occasional" members.