According to El Caribe, the president of the Senate, Andres Bautista, stated yesterday that the Dominican Republic – Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) with the US is of vital importance for Congress and pointed out that there still is no consensus on the agreement. DR-CAFTA is still being discussed by President Leonel Fernandez, businessmen, civil society, and national producers. He explained that when consensus is reached it would be placed on the priority list. Bautista said that Congress is working on a series of bills that would prepare the country to enter the agreement, adding that “those projects are not yet ready”. Clave Digital reports that civic organizations representing the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Costa Rica have issued a manifesto against DR-CAFTA because they consider it an extension and strengthening of the economic model that has kept the region in poverty, with social injustice and inequality. The organizations, which met in Managua under the name “Tri-National Meeting against the FTA”, warned that the treaty would continue with neo-liberal policies that have contributed to the privatization of public institutions, the dismemberment and destruction of agribusiness and the national production systems. The Spanish version of the complete manifesto may be found at: http://clavedigital.com/Portada/Articulo.asp?Id_Articulo=5696.