International Freedom and Trade Act
The International Freedom and Trade Act is a bill introduced in the House of Delegates that seeks to impose strict and intense economic and political sanctions against the United Commonwealth, United People's Committees and all other member states of both the Chattanooga Pact and the OMEAD in response to the Amazonas incident from December 12, 2021. The bill proposed on January 23 by United Conservative MP Andrew Keyes from New Anjou as part of the overall foreign policy for the Dillon Administration and Superior's response to the Caribbean diplomatic crisis which includes a series of harsh economic sanctions on OMEAD member states with the intent on weakening the alliance to prevent any sanctions from being undermined through trade deals and alliances.
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| Other short titles |
Trade and Freedom Act International Act |
|---|---|
| Long title | An act to secure the freedom and trade of international travel and security within the Caribbean against Continental-led aggression |
| Nicknames |
Caribbean Freedom Act Caribbean Act |
| Legislative history | |
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The overall goal is to weaken OMEAD and ensure the effectiveness of all sanctions which targets major businesses, state-owned enterprises, banks and key financial institutions, and various government and military officials and figures. It also seeks to convince other states in Anglo-America and especially members of the Conference of American States into taking similar measures and passing similar legislation as well on a national and trans-national level. The act itself was refered to the House Foreign Affairs Committee where a final vote was held on January 31. The bill was approved and passed by a margin of 140–123 with the Conservative Coalition with the backing from the Reform Party while the Progressive Bloc voted against with support from the New Labor and First Nations parties.
Background
Amazonas incident
On December 12, the Amazonas F was attacked and destroyed by the Continental Navy cruiser CCS Evansville on charges that the Amazonas had violated the maritime borders of the United People's Committees and accused Brazil of potential involvement in the 2021 Andean constitutional crisis seeking to undermine the ruling Communist Party of the Andes. The attack was condemned by the wider international community with sanctions being imposed on the Andean and Continental governments and businesses. Superior, under outgoing President Jennifer Granholm condemned the attack and supported sanctions against both states and sanctioned the Andean government under Emilia Ortega and declared her an illegitimate leader, but as she was outgoing, little was done and the issue became a front and center issue of the 2022 Superian federal election. Dillon for his part took an aggressive stance against the United Commonwealth and called for strick and intense sanctions on it, the Andes, and to target their allies and weaken the Chatanooga Pact and OMEAD as well viewing it as proof of the "true authoritarian and aggressive colors" of Landonism.
The act recieved universal condemnation from the wider international community outside of states and governments that are ideologically and/or politically aligned with the United Commonwealth with protests breaking out across the Americas and Europe in response to the attack. Public opinion in Superior shifted in favor of sanctions and thrusted Continental–Superian relations into the forefront of the 2022 election season as a key and important issue with Dillon taking an ardent stance against the United Commonwealth and the Andes and stating his support for sanctions and tough international pressure, a proposal that was popular amongst voters and the general public.
Change in relations
Under Granholm, Superior began the process of normalizing relations with the United Commonwealth with a historic summit being held in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This lead to the establishment of formal diplomatic ties and the creation of formal embassies which were publically announced in 2018. Granholm and the Liberal Democrats supported the move believing that for the sake of stability and preventing future war, both nations had to put aside their past grievences and rivalry, but this remain a contentious issue with Isaac Dillon and the United Conservatives opposing the move and viewed the United Commonwealth as a continued threat to Superior that should be treated as such.
Dillon would campaign on reversing the progress Granholm made and re-instating the federal government's ownership over Michigan as rightful Superian land under Continental occupation. During the 2022 federal election, Dillon would campaign on ensuring that the United Commonwealth was treated antagonsiticlly and saw an increase in support in the wake of the Amazonas incident which caused public opinion to shift against the United Commonwealth and the idea of normalizing relations with them. After becoming president, Dillon would sign an executive order denouncing the United Commonwealth and the Andes and stating support for imposing new sanctions through legislation and executive action.
Reactions
Support
The Conservative Coalition declared its support for the bill upon its proposal with the United Conservative Party backing the bill overhwhelmingly. Both the Christian Democrats and Constitutional Unionists voiced their backing for the bill to with Deputy President Anietta Johnson stating that it was a "must pass bill". The Libertarian Party of Superior declared support on January 24 saying that the bill "finally recognized the Landonist threat to the Caribbean and global freedom at-large".
The Association for Michigander Exiles, an organization supporting Continental defectors from Michigan, released an official statement on January 23 declaring their unaminous support and called for tough and rigid sanctions while also encouraging further defections from both states. A spokesperson also stated that the organization supports an amendment or a seperate bill that would seek to punish the United Commonwealth for its continued ownership over Michigan as well. Turning Point Superior declared its support on January 25 declaring that the Dillon Administration was "finally standing up to Landonist tyranny in defense of world liberty" with the Anglo-American Conservative Union in Superior also supporting the bill the same day alongside its parent organization.