The Swiss lower parliament voted against an agreement with Mercosur (Common Market of the South, a South American trade coalition) amid reactions from both the right and left of the political spectrum.
The agreement will now be put to the vote in the upper Chamber and, if approved by this House, it will probably return to the lower chamber.
Late last night Members voted against the agreement concluded last year by votes of 96-86 and 9 abstentions.
The opposition to the agreement came from both conservative MPs representing the interests of farmers, and from parties on the left who raised concerns on issues such as working practices and the destruction of tropical forests.
Mercosur owns Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
RES-APA