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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Summit: Bush Pushes Trade; Chavez Pushes Puppets |
| 2005-11-04 |
| Venezuela's president, an outspoken critic of a U.S.-sponsored free trade arrangement for Latin America, prepared to address thousands of like-minded protesters Friday at a rally coinciding with the start of a regional summit. President Bush has hoped to promote the Free Trade Area of the Americas at the 34-nation Summit of the Americas beginning Friday. The deal proposed by Washington would break down trade barriers from Alaska to the tip of South America. Leaders attending the two-day summit had agreed ahead of time to focus on creating jobs and reducing poverty. In recent days, however, their attention has shifted to the free trade issue and the sparring between the U.S. and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a leftist whose government has used his country's vast oil wealth on social programs for the poor. Washington maintains the proposed accord, which has stalled amid opposition by several Latin American countries, is vital to creating jobs and increasing wealth in the region. 'What we're looking to do is find ways to unlock some of these economies so they get the kind of investment they need, they get the kind of trade they need and they have the flexibility within their labor markets to generate employment,' Thomas Shannon, assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, said Thursday. Chavez has said free trade is being forced on Latin American countries and the deal would only help the rich. Instead, he has pushed for an anti-FTAA deal based on socialist ideals. Chavez has strained relations with Washington and regularly claims the United States is trying to overthrow his government, an accusation U.S. officials dismiss. He has used Venezuela's oil wealth to push for regional solidarity, offering fuel with preferential financing to various Caribbean and Latin American countries. Venezuela is a member of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and the world's fifth largest oil exporter as well as a major supplier to the U.S. market. Bush and Chavez both arrived in Argentina for the summit on Thursday, the same day Venezuela staged a mock U.S. invasion of its own territory. The event is the latest exercise intended to prepare soldiers and civilian volunteers for what Chavez says is a possible attack by American troops. Though U.S. officials deny any such plan, Chavez says it is best to be ready. With tensions rising between the two nations, Chavez and Bush will likely see each other Friday at the summit's inauguration _ after Chavez addresses the rally of mostly anti-Bush protesters. The two leaders are not scheduled to meet one-on-one, but they will both be at the same sessions. Chavez has joked about whether Bush is afraid of him, saying he might sneak up and scare the U.S. president at the summit. Jose Miguel Insulza, secretary-general of the Organization of American States which organized the summit, said he was disappointed by attention to the free trade deal. 'This is not a summit about the FTAA,' a frustrated Insulza told reporters. But Bush seems to be winning over supporters. A high-ranking Brazilian official, who said he was not authorized to give his name, told reporters 28 of the 34 countries participating in the summit had agreed to relaunch trade talks as early as April. Meanwhile, some 10,000 demonstrators were planning to march 30 blocks Friday to the stadium where Chavez was scheduled to speak. 'We're going to say 'No to Bush' and 'No to FTAA,'' said the Argentine labor leader Juan Gonzalez. 'We don't have any confidence in anything he might propose here. Whatever it is will only prolong hunger, poverty and death in Latin America.' More than 8,000 security forces were dispatched to maintain order ahead of the summit. Navy ships sailed along the coastline and helicopters clattered overhead. Most summit hotels were in a section of the city that has been cleared of pedestrians and traffic and surrounded by guards. Cuban President Fidel Castro was snubbed by the summit's organizers, but though their country was not invited, the communist island's Parliamentary speaker Ricardo Alarcon showed up in Mar del Plata anyway. 'They are going to take a good photo with Bush, have lunch, eat dinner, and gab some more. What is happening over there is a plan that does no good for the people of the Americas,' he said. Costa Rican President Abel Pacheco and his Mexican counterpart Vicente Fox said Thursday they would focus bilaterally on the search for regional solutions to high oil prices. Fox also complained of resistance to accept what he called 'the freedom' of workers to migrate across borders, and said Mexico would bring up the immigration issue at the Americas Summit this week. Socialistas. I hope there will be giant puppets and pink tanks. It's just not a proper WankFest without 'em. |
| Posted by:.com |
| #4 watched the "riots" on Fox this afternoon - there were more cameramen and photographers surrounding and encouraging those few smashing windows and burning phone booths....pathetic. Reporters and photogs become agitators. Expect to see some capped when the violence turns nasty - they deserve it |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-11-04 20:46 |
| #3 "....thousands of protesters" - from both CNN, MSNBC and FNC, barely looks like 500 let alone 1000. Methinks these protesters are yet another group of Lefties-Socialists-Commies-Anarchists whom demand Argentina be invaded and saved by Dubya. I can't think of any era in world military and political history where whole regions or many states demand to be attacked and invaded by their alleged, surreal ideo "enemy", in order to destroy said enemy!? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2005-11-04 20:33 |
| #2 Chavez has joked about whether Bush is afraid of him, saying he might sneak up and scare the U.S. president at the summit. Hope he tries. Maybe Bush's Secret Service Detail won't get the joke and blow him away. Ha-ha, Hugo... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-11-04 11:04 |
| #1 But Bush seems to be winning over supporters. A high-ranking Brazilian official, who said he was not authorized to give his name, told reporters 28 of the 34 countries participating in the summit had agreed to relaunch trade talks as early as April. Looks like Bush is gaining more political momentum. Is this the week when Reid & Pelosi finally cook their engine blocks, or just more gaskets? |
| Posted by: Raj 2005-11-04 10:53 |