The unusual and surprising response of the Minister of the Environment on a key issue of the TPP11

The minister of Environment, Maisa Rojaswas consulted for the processing of the TPP11 (Comprehensive and Progressive Treaty for Trans-Pacific Partnership) in the midst of the tug of war in the ruling party and the government’s fluctuating responses to the project. Although the President himself, Gabriel Boricpointed out this week that it is not an initiative that the Executive is promoting, the head of the Treasury, Mario Marcel -also from New York- gave a sign of support for the TPP11 assuring that they would not promote any action to hinder their vote in the Senate.

The Secretary of State also highlighted how Executive’s strategy -in the midst of controversy-, that the government’s agenda is at work for the signature, with the member countries of the TPP11, of a bilateral agreement (lateral letters or side letters) to not apply the dispute resolution mechanisms, and then ensure that these are supported by Congress, in case there are enough votes in the Upper House for the approval of the treaty as it is now.

“The government is going to look at the issue of side cards separately, because that also requires legislation (and another bill). That is an issue that is on the government program and we trust that we will have the support of all the parties that are part of the coalition, regardless of the vote they have had regarding the treaty,” Marcel said Thursday in the midst of the criticism of Approve Dignidad to the treaty.

Thus, Minister Rojas was consulted regarding the processing of the project, to which she indicated that she was not going to “refer” to the treaty “because it does not correspond to me.” “The government has already declared that it is not going to impede the negotiations that are currently in Congress,” she said. Then she was asked regarding the side letters or side letters, regarding the importance of them being reflected in the parallel project and what would be the key environmental points. It was there that she surprised by assuring: “I don’t know what side letters are” (see video).

The unusual response contradicts the message transmitted by Marcel, who had stated in recent days that the President and the cabinet support the action of promoting the bilateral agreementss with the member countries of the TPP11.