Our dear friends in Central America are fighting for their survival. Carlos Alberto Montaner has an important essay out about what he saw in the eyes of Central America’s presidents as they came to Miami to plead for the DR-CAFTA trade bill. He warns that is this bill does not pass, it will be to “invite the Devil to supper.” He’s right.

I was in Los Angeles when the President of El Salvador came through on the same mission. The mass media, including the LA Times ignored it, but the room full of Salvadoran immigrants who fully shared his passion didn’t. From what I saw, I will say this: Montaner is not exaggerating! What he saw in these presidents willing to fight for their people’s future is what I saw.

President Tony Saca of El Salvador warned that unless the DR-CAFTA bill is passed, Central America will collapse into chavistadom. The danger is real. So far, Central America has kept the faith in free markets while much of the rest of the hemisphere has not. What kind of message will it send if our own domestic political forces end this treaty? The thought of these domestic bozos being able to do such damage makes me sick. Much of Central America is solvent, stable, dollarized, fighting for Iraq’s freedom and so very unlike what you notice in the rest of the hemisphere – not embarrassed to say they are the U.S.’s friend. They aren’t ashamed at all, could care less how the eurotrash or UN who fancy themselves ‘the world’ will react, not interested in joining the loser’s side of history.

They are different. They are our friends. They are in-your-face to anyone who insults them for it. They pick their friends and we are honored that they are us. In other words, these fearless, friendly realists are our equals.

We must fight to the death to save them from chavistadom. Because that is what will happen if the U.S. fails to pass this trade bill. This trade fight is the biggest struggle of all in the U.S. The enemies of it are the communists who want Daniel Ortega to once again rule the region, the K-Street sugar lobby desirous of keeping its fat subsidies, and the labor fascists intent on preserving privileges at the expense of shutting out everyone else. These repulsive hogs who so deserve each other all want to shut Central America out of the world and keep it the poorest part of our hemisphere. For a ‘Better World’ you understand. They can’t stand free trade because free trade will make Central America prosperous. They are the lowest form of life.

Unlike the others in the region, our Central American friends aren’t asking for charity. They aren’t asking for a bailout. They aren’t asking for more state spending to create the appearance of economic growth while businesses do not form. They just want the freedom to trade and the access to big markets so that they can become the people they were meant to be. ‘

I hope to God CAFTA passes.