In a note that is closely related to the preceding story, Senate leader Andres Bautista met yesterday with United States Ambassador Hans Hertell, after which he immediately called the Senate to a special session this Saturday. The agenda will include a piece of legislation that would eliminate the 25% tax on soft drinks made with HFCS from the United States. Upon hearing this news, La Romana’s Senator Enrique Seijas told the press that the way in which Ambassador Hertell talked with Senator Bautista is another example of the US meddling in the internal affairs of the Dominican Republic. Seijas called the interference “highly irritating and showing a lack of respect.” According to Seijas, the legislation should be dealt with later on, and not so “impetuously.” The La Romana legislator suggested that the Dominican Senate emulate the Mexico’s congress that levied a 20% tax on soft drinks using corn syrup in defiance of the US’s complaints. Inside the DR Senate, the head of the special commission that is studying the proposals from the President told the Senate members last week that his commission would approve the legislation. The Free Trade Agreement has been strongly supported by the industrial free trade zones that have a quarter of a million workers, and the syrup surcharge has been hotly rejected by the sugar interests in the DR. As reported in Hoy, the legislation submitted by President Fernandez has also divided the opinions of the PLD and the PRD players.