International Freedom and Trade Act
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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 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.
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.