CAFTA and Maquilas in Nicaragua

NACLA reports on CAFTA and maquilas in Nicaragua. Executive summary: bad news. But, the article fills in a lot of blanks to show what else it took to create this bad news. As some would expect, the big picture involves Taiwan and China or, more accurately, the Taiwan/China competition.

During the first half of this year, two new textile maquilas decided to invest in Nicaragua, generating an estimated 176 new jobs.
During the same six-month period, Nicaragua has seen mass firings in at least seven textile maquilas, as well as the complete closure of two textile factories, prompting the alarming loss of up to 4,120 jobs.