the sincere zone

La zona franca is the name of the ridiculously gigantic sweatshop located on the edge of town. La zona franca could ironically be translated (following the Spanish definition of franca) in several ways:

1. The Liberal Zone
2. The Open-Hearted Zone
3. The Generous Zone
4. The Fair Zone
5. The Disengaged Zone
6. The Priveleged Zone
7. The Exempt Zone

I could be wrong, but I don´t think Atlantic Apparel (the company that owns the sweatshop) intended to express the first 4 meanings. In fact, I know that the seventh translation is the one that fits the best. La zona franca is one of many Export-Free Trade Zones throughout the world. Companies are invited into fledgling economies such as Nicaragua´s with the economic incentive of legal tax evasion. For the first five years in Nicaragua the company does not need to pay any taxes. Additionally, with such a desperate need for employment and lack of government monitoring, these companies can evade federal wage and worker protection laws. It really is an exempt zone, a lawless land, or rather a land where the companies make the laws that the workers must follow.

The other day I went to visit (although I wasn´t allowed to enter) the sweatshop right outside of Granada. The plant is a good 3 to 4 football field lengths long, and fits 1500 employees per shift. From sewing to ironing to management, the size of a small town is employed under one massive roof. This sweatshop in particular specializes in pants such as Carhartts, Levis and Urban Outfitter.

Visiting the sweatshop was a strangely intriguing excursion. Perhaps because I was able to stand in front of the reality of what was previously an abstract concept. But at the same time, I know several workers and ex-workers in this zona franca. I went with my Spanish teacher Maria, whose husband works there. She told me all about the conditions, which I wasn´t allowed to witness first-hand. To avoid wasting time, workers must stay on the grounds all day long and either bring their own lunch or eat at the company´s restaurant, which gets deducted from their weekly wage (about 20 to 50 dollars a week). Massive fans ventilate the main nave of the building while air-conditioned offices line the sides. Workers work in teams, assembly certain pant parts all day long. One of my teachers used to put the seam in the pant leg. If one worker was inefficent, the whole group suffered because of it. Previously, workers were paid per production.

I asked my language teacher what her feelings are towards la Zona Franca. She said that it did create jobs where there weren´t any before. Now more people are employed and have a little bit more money. She thinks it is good, generally, but then said that she hopes (knocking on wood) that she never, ever has to work there herself.