Over the past three months, the United States has concluded free-trade negotiations with Peru and Colombia that have raised hopes for increased commerce and economic expansion. But the deals also have fanned concern that they will threaten indigenous rights and environmental protections in the two South American nations, which are among the world’s most biologically diverse. The agreements, reached with Peru on Dec. 7 and Colombia on Feb 27, would—if approved by lawmakers—give the vast majority of U.S. consumer and industrial exports duty-free access to Colombia and Peru. They also would make permanent the zero-tariff access that most Colombian and Peruvian exports already have to the U.S. market under the 1991 Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act, which expires... [Log in to read more]