Guatemala says it will win US challenge on Cafta labor rights. We respect the unions, insists Economy Minister Velásquez

Guatemala is confident it will defeat a US challenge to its record on labor rights, the country's economy minister said, and he linked the challenge to White House efforts to win domestic support for several free trade deals.

The United States said last month it wanted a free-trade dispute settlement panel to hear its year-old complaint that Guatemala has failed to protect workers' rights as required under the Cafta trade accord.

"We respect the law, the work law, the unions and there is no background for the claims -- no basis for it," Economy Minister Luis Velasquez said.

Fuente: Reuters