"Free Trade"

In Mexico high tariffs that have protected many Mexican agricultural products such as corn and beans for the past fifteen years have expired. According to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA,) the tariffs were put into place to allow the Mexican farms time to improve and guarantee the protection of Mexican farms from American influence. Despite the tariff protection, many Mexican farms have still not reached a level to where they can realistically compete with other more technologically advanced farm industries. As a result of the expiration of the tariffs, the farmers protested in Mexico City to persuade the government to renegotiate NAFTA in order to buy more time for protection. The article is very interesting when it mentions the US ambassador's (Tony Garza) feelings of NAFTA and the subsequent feelings of Mexican farmers and activists:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080201/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/mexico_farm_protest;_ylt=AiahdqjTQ0jmhG5hljk0iOm3IxIF