AUGUSTA – Some 20 representatives of environmental, labor and peace groups from across Maine gathered in the Capitol on Monday to express their opposition to the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas.

The proposal would create a free trade agreement for nations in the western hemisphere – much like that of the North American Free Trade Agreement currently entered into by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Backers of the plan say the agreement would allow for the free flow of goods and services between countries, ultimately resulting in lower prices for consumers.

But the roughly 20 people objecting to the plan Monday, many of them students at area colleges, said the agreement would lead to the exploitation of workers in developing nations, infringe on democracy, and only benefit large corporations. They also objected that when trade ministers and leaders from western nations meet to discuss the proposal later this month in Quebec City the talks will be secret.

“The focus of this closed-door meeting will be the creation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas,” said Tennessee Watson, a Colby College student and moderator of the event held in the Hall of Flags at the Statehouse. “This is an extension of NAFTA, which has undermined workers’ rights and environmental protection.”

Emphasizing that more than 30 Maine organizations had signed a letter of opposition to the proposal, Watson said they oppose any form of trade that exploits people. “To be clear, we’re not opposed to all forms of trade,” Watson said. But this particular proposal, she said, “ignores the needs of people and ecosystems across the globe. The diversity represented by those who signed on to this list is very symbolic and very important.”

The letter was delivered to Gov. Angus King’s office. An aide to King said Monday afternoon that the governor, who was out of the office at the time it was delivered, had yet to read the letter. King has not stated his position on FTAA, the aide said.

Among the groups opposed to the proposal are the Maine AFL-CIO, Association of Federal Government Employees Local 2610, and the Maine Green Independent Party.

Ned McCann, a representative of the Maine AFL-CIO, told the gathering Monday that his organization was opposed to the agreement because he believed it would mean a flow of jobs out of Maine and into other countries with lower labor costs.

“Maine labor has been fighting free trade agreements that are not fair trade,” said McCann. “FTAA represents a much greater threat to Maine jobs than NAFTA ever did. Agreements reached in secret result in threats not only to our jobs, but also our sovereignty.”

While the actual sessions will be held in private, the meeting dignitaries have agreed to release transcripts of the meeting, to be held April 20-22.

Many of those in attendance Monday said they planned to travel to Quebec to protest the meeting.