There are two types of economic engagement that western governments can pursue with countries like Colombia and emerging or developing economies. One is aid and one is trade. I'd appreciate your explanation, because I can't quite understand how there are people in western countries like Canada who support aid to Colombia but do not support increased trade with Colombia. They're both forms of economic engagement.
How do you feel about this notion, which comes in some cases from the labour movement and in other cases from particular political parties, that we should continue to provide hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to these developing economies but, for God's sake, not buy their products? I'd be interested if you could help me find a rationale for that policy, because I assume rational people must have rational reasons, unless they're irrational people.