I believe that the FTAA is an agreement that will benefit the Americas in many ways, but more than anything else, what the FTAA will do is unify the Hemisphere. This is the only way that progress in all areas can really be made. If all the countries of the Americas support each other in the various areas, we would become a true power. Right now, what we need is not a fight between nations, but rather mutual understanding and support.

The time has come for us to realize this and shed the ambitions of a few and the attitudes of indifference towards our nations. It is time to look beyond our borders and explore what our countries really need, to remember that our cultures have been, and continue to be, more alike than not. Do not forget that this is not only a free trade agreement, but also an opportunity to unify the Americas in the social, as well as the commercial, arena, and that this will truly benefit our Hemisphere.