Former Dominican ambassador in Washington, D.C., Bernardo Vega, writes in El Caribe that while trade negotiations in Central America have been transparent, in the case of the Dominican Republic one must access documents and statements from the US negotiators to find out what is happening. He says that the local press has not reported on important facets of the negotiations, such as the fact that a bilateral agreement with the Dominican Republic would have to be approved by US Congress. Neither has it divulged to the public that US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick has said that if the agreement is reached, the DR could have a separate list of products subject to the free-trade terms, which he sees as positive. This arrangement would allow for the government and private sector to negotiate the content of the lists. Vega says that what Zoellick could have been referring to when stating that the DR could dock to the CAFTA agreement was that this would be the framework that the DR would have to accept, but that each treaty would have its own nuances. Vega urged that our private sector and public opinion request more transparency regarding the ongoing negotiations.