The demonstration had place at the same time of the opening ceremony of the 11th UNCTAD at the Conventions Center of Inhaembí Park. At the ceremony assisted the Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, UN general secretary, Kofi Annan, and the state chiefs of the 192 countries members of the organization besides two thousand delegates.

The more of 1000 demonstrators generated a big traffic jam on north of the city and only got close to Anhembí Park. The demonstration was convoked by the Brazilian organizations “Social Movements Coordination” and the “Campaign Against the FTAA”.

A special team of Brazilian Military Police, in charge of the event security, stopped the demonstrators many blocks away of the event headquarters.

Other present organizations were the Workers Central Union from Brazil, the Students National Union and the Landless Workers Movement (MST).

In the mobilization also participated representatives of the Civil Society’s Forum, a group of NGO’s that during the UNCTAD meeting had criticized the injustices of the international economic model.

Besides protesting against the WTO and the FTAA, the demonstrators claimed for the exclusion of the Agriculture out of the WTO negotiations, the not payment of the external debt of the poor countries, there were also expressed support canticles towards Cuba, precisely on the 76th anniversary of the birth of Ernesto “Che” Guevara.

Days ago, Fidel Castro send a letter explaining the reasons for his absence at the UN Conference, a part of the letter warned that “the UN prestige is being completely destroyed” by the constant aggressions of US and its allies in any circumstance in any place of the world.

Another part of the letter affirmed that “world trade has not been an instrument for the development of the poor countries”, so that the UNCTAD is just a “noble attempt” to stop the poverty of million people living in poor countries.