Monday, April 18, 2011


(CNSNews.com) - The U.S. Export-Import Bank, an independent agency of the federal government, is now planning a $2.84-billion loan for a massive project to expand and upgrade an oil refinery--in Cartagena, Colombia.
The money would go to Reficar, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ecopetrol, the Colombian national oil company.
“This is part of a $5.18 billion refinery and upgrade project in Cartagena, Colombia supplying petroleum products to the domestic and export markets,” the Export-Import Bank said in a statement.
The U.S. government-controlled bank says the $2.84-billion in financing it plans to undertake will be the second largest project it has ever done. The largest was $3 billion in financing for a liquid natural gas project in Papua New Guinea....

Marko Rubio solisticed President Obama as soon as he arrived in Washington, DC as Senator to pass CAFTA.  He demanded cooperation and in a spirit of bipartisanship the President signed the bill.  This is Marko Rubio the man from Florida, the friend of the Former Governor BUSH and the brother of the Oil Barron and supporter of Halliburton in Iraq.  END OF DISCUSSION.

On the eve of your mission to Latin America, we ask you to prioritize the Western Hemisphere in our trade policy.
Specifically, we urge you to immediately submit both the Colombia and Panama free trade agreements to Congress, so that they can achieve Congressional approval and we can begin to reap the benefits of these important agreements. We believe these agreements are an important and necessary first step towards a broader trade policy.
We urge you to then engage willing partners in the hemisphere to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) to open additional export markets for the United States.
We urge you to then engage willing partners in the hemisphere to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) to open additional export markets for the United States.
As you know, the United States established a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico in 1994. At the time, this agreement unified the largest trading market in the world, now encompassing a GDP of around $17 trillion.
The Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) was first proposed under President Clinton in 1994 and would open markets in 34 countries.
Mr. President, we look forward to working with you on this issue. By opening up a bold trade agenda encompassing theWestern Hemisphere, you will create opportunities for higher incomes in theU.S. and foreign policy stability and growth in our own hemisphere. In these times of international instability, our mission and this free trade initiative would go a long way towards ensuring peace and economic growth in our region of the planet.
Very truly yours, 

Marco Rubio
United States Senator

Mark Kirk              
United States Senator
    
Roy Blunt
United States Senator

Lamar Alexander  
United States Senator

Mike Johanns
United States Senator

Charles E. Grassley          
United States Senator
    
Ronald H. Johnson
United States Senator