Why did some peasant and Indigenous groups oppose the Central America Free Trade Agreement?

The Central America–Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) was a polarizing issue in Guatemala and across the region. While governments and business sectors supported the agreement, believing it would stimulate economic growth and attract foreign investment, peasant, labour, and Indigenous groups staunchly opposed it.12

Opposition from these groups was rooted in concerns over the potential negative impacts of the trade pact on their livelihoods and local economies. These groups feared that the immediate elimination of tariffs on many U.S. agricultural exports would undermine local producers, particularly those engaged in subsistence farming, who could not compete with subsidized or large-scale foreign imports. Furthermore, the agreement's focus on expanding U.S. access to service sectors and government procurement was viewed by critics as a threat to national sovereignty and the economic security of vulnerable populations who had already faced decades of political instability and social marginalization.134