Peru rejects Venezuelan call to kill FTA with U.S.

The Peruvian government said on Tuesday that it would not suspend its free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, a condition Venezuela put forward for reversing its decision to leave the regional trade body, the Andean Community of Nations (CAN).

"No one can impose conditions on us, because every nation has its own interests," Peru's Trade and Tourism Minister Alfredo Ferrero said.

Having said last week that Venezuela was determined to leave CAN, the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Monday that Venezuela might consider remaining within CAN if Peru and Colombia revoked their FTAs with Washington.

Chavez said the agreements had "mortally wounded" CAN, a trade bloc that includes Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador.

Bolivian President Evo Morales, an ally of Chavez, has also criticized Peru and Colombia for signing FTAs with the United States.

Also on Tuesday, CAN said trade ministers from the bloc had cancelled a meeting called for Wednesday to discuss the topic.

Source: Xinhua