As Congress debates the Central American Free Trade Agreement, it must decide not merely whether to advance America's economic interests, but also whether to reaffirm our decades-long commitment to Central American democracy.(The Week ...)

As Congress debates the Central American Free Trade Agreement, it must decide not merely whether to advance America's economic interests, but also whether to reaffirm our decades-long commitment to Central American democracy. CAFTA would liberalize trade between the U.S. and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic, bringing greater wealth to all involved. Significantly, this would strengthen the Central American middle class at a time when Daniel Ortega remains a powerful force in Nicaragua and, throughout Latin America, the anti-democratic, anti-American message of Hugo Chavez gains ever-wider currency. An alliance of powerful lobbies and ...