SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Wednesday it is signing free trade agreements with five Central American nations aimed at boosting market access for the Korean auto sector and electronics makers.

Trade minister Kim Hyun-chong will meet representatives from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama in Seoul on Wednesday to sign five separate bilateral pacts which will eliminate duties on about 95 percent of traded goods and services, Korea’s trade ministry said in an e-mailed statement.

The agreements are subject to parliamentary approval in each country, and is likely to take effect at different times depending on the ratification process.

The five trade pacts open South Korea to key Central American countries after its deals with the U.S., the European Union and China helped boost exports.

“The South Korea-Central America free trade deals will enable the countries to build a more comprehensive, strategic partnerships going forward,” Kim said.

The ministry expects the five deals to accelerate South Korea’s economic growth by an overall 0.02 percent in the next 10 years, by boosting exports of cars, steel, cosmetics products, and auto components.</s>SEOUL, Feb 21 (Reuters) - South Korea said on Wednesday it will sign free trade agreements with five Central American nations that will boost market access for South Korean automotive and electronics sectors.

Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong will meet representatives from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama in Seoul on Wendsday to sign five separate bilateral agreements which will eliminate duties on about 95 percent of traded goods and services, South Korea’s trade ministry said in an e-mailed statement.</s>Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong will meet representatives from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama in Seoul on Wendsday to sign five separate bilateral agreements which will eliminate duties on about 95 percent of traded goods and services, South Korea's trade ministry said in an e-mailed statement.</s>South Korea signed a free trade deal with five Central American countries on Wednesday, even as Seoul and Washington spar over their existing FTA.

Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong signed the pact with economic ministers from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, said a spokeswoman for the Seoul ministry.

The treaty, which will take effect in each country as it ratifies it, will also provide the world's 11th-largest economy with a "third route" to the US in the face of mounting trade protectionism in Washington, it said.

South Korea and the US have their own free trade agreement, known as KORUS, but have begun talks on renegotiating it at Washington's demand.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly condemned the pact as a "horrible deal" and a "disaster", and the two allies are at loggerheads over tariffs on steel, washing machines and other goods imposed by Washington in recent weeks.

South Korea's economy is heavily dependent on international trade and the Central American pact will help it export more products such as cars, iron and steel, home appliances and textiles to the region, the trade ministry statement said.

It ran a surplus of nearly $1.9 billion with the five Central American countries last year, according to figures from South Korean trade body KITA, with exports of $2.2 billion and imports worth $333 million.

The agreement came after 32 months of talks to ease tariffs and lower barriers with six central American countries, although Guatemala decided to stay outside the deal for now.</s>South Korea Wednesday signed a free trade deal with Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica, the Asian country's Trade Ministry said.

The pact was sealed by the South Korean Trade Minister, Kim Hyun-Jong, his counterparts from Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Alexander Mora and Orlando Solorzano, respectively, Salvador's Minister of Economy, Tharsis Salomon Lopez, the Minister of Economic Development of Honduras, Arnaldo Castillo, and Vice Minister of International Trade for Negotiation of the Ministry of Trade of Panama, Diana Salazar.</s>South Korea signed a free-trade deal with five Central American countries on Wednesday, amid ongoing sparring between Seoul and Washington over their existing trade agreement. Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong signed the pact with economic ministers from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, a spokeswoman for the Seoul ministry said, according to AFP. The treaty will take effect in each country as it is ratified. It will provide the world’s 11th-largest economy with a “third route” to the US in the face of mounting trade protectionism in Washington, according to the ministry. Seoul and the US have their own free-trade agreement, known as KORUS, but they have begun talks on renegotiating it at Washington’s demand. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly condemned the pact as a “horrible deal” and a “disaster.” The two allies are at loggerheads over tariffs on steel, washing machines and other goods imposed by Washington in recent weeks.</s>SAN SALVADOR: Four Central American nations are to sign a free trade deal with South Korea on Wednesday after more than two years of talks to ease tariffs and barriers on a range of products, El Salvador’s government announced.

El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica will seal the pact with the Asian country, sending their economy ministers to the signing ceremony.

Six Central American countries had been involved in the negotiations, but two of them — Guatemala and Panama — were staying outside the deal at this stage. Guatemala said it had yet to finalize trade discussions with South Korea. Belize was not involved.

Talks on the pact started in June 2015 and covered 21 chapters addressing market access, rules of origin, trade facilitation, health and phytosanitary measures, trade defense, investment, and technical obstacles to trade.

The agreement “is an example of how and adequate balance can be found between opening new market opportunities for products and, at the same time, respect the sensitivities of productive sectors,” the Salvadoran economy ministry said in a statement.

After the signing, the accord is to be submitted for ratification to the participating countries’ legislatures.

 In 2016, Central America imported $1.08 billion from South Korea, and exported $143 million to the country.</s>"[The signed document], discussion of which began in June 2015 and lasted for two years and eight months, will shape a comprehensive strategic partnership between South Korea and Central American nations," the ministry said.

The agreement is subject to approval by the national parliaments.

South Korea is interested in natural resources that the Central American countries are rich in. The latter, in turn, seek to attract Seoul's investments and enter the South Korean market.

READ MORE: S Korea Files Trade Complaint to Challenge US Anti-Dumping Duties — Reports

South Korea has already implemented similar agreements with South American countries, including Chile, Colombia and Peru, as well as with the North American nations of the United States and Canada.</s>A few days ago, Marco Rubio a US republican senator of Cuban descent wrote in his twitter account: “The world would support the Armed Forces in Venezuela if they decide to protect their people and restore democracy by removing a dictator (of power).” That’s all he is craving for.

Well, Mr. Robinson has probably spent so little time in his own country that he does not know about the 40 million Americans living in misery, how about if he turns towards home instead of walking around in someone else’s house? Without going that far, he says humanity (?). Well, how about being the proponent of a Comprehensive Immigration Reform that brings out at least 25 million undocumented immigrants from the shadows in the United States? There are thing to do in his own country, for sure, and even more!

Ecuador has been pushed back one hundred years with the colossal betrayal of Lenin Moreno; a stab in the back not only to Rafael Correa, but to the Ecuadorian people who set out to defend the Citizens’ Revolution at the polls. But, did the “yes” win? No, Rafael Correa, that continues to have the support of citizens who for 10 years defended the Citizens’ Revolution, won. The “yes”, comes from the unity of the Ecuadorian left that has always been friendly to the right, and from the different leaders of the right-wing oligarchic mafias, who in a Machiavellian fashion joined together against Rafael, using Lenin who when no longer serves their interests will get a kick in the ass -like all traitors. One by one they would never have had any chance against Rafael and the Citizens’ Revolution.

Peru, on the other hand, frees Fujimori. Pablo Kuczynski, a right-wing servant of the oligarchies and the United States, has freed a Dantesque character who acted whit total impunity. Kuczynski says it is a humanitarian pardon, which accompanied by a “right to pardon” nullifies any other attempt to prosecute the dictator Fujimori. Yet the abuses that such a character committed during his time as president are completely forgotten by the authorities -also co-opted by the bribery agreements so common in Latin America of the post-dictatorships and neoliberalism. That’s all for now, next time we’re going to talk about the licenses for transnational companies and the exploitation of Peruvian ecosystems.

Honduras where the people said no to the dictatorship of Juan Orlando Hernández, the ruffian executed a coup d’état and he is repressing his people with the Armed Forces. But the scoundrel is not alone; he’s got the oligarchic bands and the United States on his side. So many things are at stake at this moment in Honduras; saying no to Juan Orlando Hernández has demonstrated the dignity of the Honduran people and the strength of their resistance. The world should be with Honduras, denouncing the atrocities of the dictator and emboldening the courage of those who refuse to tolerate the scam and the corruption of the rascal.

Guatemala, with its pact among the corrupt, finds itself in a miserable situation; it is a tiny country in Central America, which is rarely mentioned in the international media -much as El Salvador- which unless it is not about the Mara Salvatrucha, does not exist.

The dictatorship in Guatemala became stronger with the signing of “La Paz”; let’s say it was legalized, it has its seals and signatures of approval. It did not satisfy itself with placing a genocidal as president and went for more; choosing Jimmy Morales, the worst of the worst; a wimp in the full extent of the word. A puppet cast in the mold as those who voted for him: corrupt, misogynist, macho, sanctimonious, cynical, thief and conspirator. Good heavens!

And we cannot forget Costa Rica; a country that for decades has boasted itself to be the most economically stable of Central America (but, wait a minute, it’s Nicaragua!), and also boastful of a population comprised mostly of people with a higher education level. But you know, with this higher education, which has not served them well at all, the Costa Rican people decided to put the noose around their necks placing at the peak a misogynist, macho, patriarchal, classist and racist candidate like Fabricio Alvarado who is an exact copy of Jimmy Morales. They take bathes of purity and sell themselves as anointed (with dirty sock water) by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The fact of a second round having a candidate like Fabricio Alvarado, is a setback. What is happening to the wisdom of the Costa Rican people? It is the same that happens to all peoples who have been manipulated by religions and faith. Costa Rica is the example in the region of a higher education that has worked at the service of the system; a system that is also manipulated by religion.

As we can see, and without much particulars, Latin America is experiencing a neoliberal onslaught; the continuation of a plan that was launched during the dictatorships and it is functioning as a seal; as a tie or stamp of an era that seeks to uproot all resistance of the peoples.

But it will not be now that they will strike us down, we have been resisting for more than 500 years and notwithstanding all their attacks, they have not been able to destroy us. These are difficult times, but we are weaved together by a thread of a collective memory, and a thousand-year-old root that dignifies the generations facing a time which they have had to live. The best is not in the past, they didn’t kill the best of us; the best of us is about to come.</s>Two boxers from Cuba facing off against two fighters from Nicaragua, this is the choice menu offered in Panama City on March 10th. Unbeaten Cuban jr lightweight Pablo Vicente (9-0, 7 KOs) and Yamil Acevedo (13-1-1, 7 KOs) of Nicaragua will battle for the vacant WBC Fecarbox title. Acevedo’s lone loss is by DQ.

The accompanying bout has Cuba’s Daniel Matellon (5-0-2) defending his WBA Fedelatin light-flyweight title against Nicaragua’s Camilo Acevedo (11-2-1, 5 KOs). Both boxers from Nicaragua are managed by former world champion Rosendo Alvarez.

Curiously enough, Matellon is managed by fellow Cuban boxer Vicente and both will be fighting on the same night!
South Korea signs free trade agreements with the Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama to eliminate duties on about 95% of traded goods and services.