Market Myths and Assumptions: Examining the Transnational Politics of Access to Medicines Campaigning in Central America

In recent years, intellectual property rights protections have increased in Central America. Transnational access to medicines campaigns focused particular attention on the public health implications of these protections in the context of debates around the ratification of the US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), but these efforts did not lead to long-term engagement with intellectual property and access questions by local health activists. This paper explores differences in priority focus between global access to medicines movement and local health activists in Central America, arguing that transnational access advocates' core arguments rely on assumptions that mesh poorly with on-the-ground realities in Central America. I examine differences in drug markets and political alliances, suggesting that these factors help explain the imperfect connection between global access to medicines frames and the needs of patients and advocates in Central America.