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Bush in Colombia to discuss insurgency, trade
Reuters/Jose Miguel Gomez
President George W. Bush (L) shakes hands with Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe upon his arrival at the presidential palace in Bogota, March 11, 2007.By Laurent Lozano
AFP
BOGOTA
Petroleumworld.com 03 12 07US President George W. Bush visited Colombia Sunday in a show of support for the conflict-torn US ally, as violent protests continued to mark his goodwill tour of Latin America.
Tight security surrounded his short visit of the South American nation that had received billions of dollars in US aid to battle armed rebels and drug trafficking.
Just 1.5 kilometers (one mile) from the presidential palace where Bush held talks with conservative President Alvaro Uribe, rock-throwing demonstrators clashed with police as 5,000 people took to the streets to protest US policies.
At the same time, Bush's Venezuelan nemesis, President Hugo Chavez, renewed his virulent attacks against the US president during a rival Latin America tour.
Bush has made a point of ignoring the taunts, saying he was conducting "quiet and effective diplomacy" in Latin America.
But the protests that greeted him in Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia reflected widespread anti-US sentiment in the region, where several leftist leaders opposed to
his policies have been elected or re-elected in recent years.
Colombian police warned they had indications the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), planned to carry out "acts of terrorism" during the US president's stay.
Just hours before Bush's arrival, five small explosive devices blew up in the city of Cali and in the nearby port of Buenaventura, leaving three people slightly injured. Authorities said they would not speculate as to whether the explosions were linked to the visit.
Bush's visit of less than seven hours was largely aimed at showing support for the country's battle against insurgents and the illegal drug trade that finances them.
Last week, the US president strongly defended a 700-million-dollar a year aid program for Colombia largely destined to support efforts to combat drug trafficking and a decades-old insurgency.
He also stressed he would press for congressional approval of free trade agreements signed with Colombia and Peru.
"And like all free trade agreements, we will battle for their passage," Bush assured.
But congressional Democrats have expressed concern about human rights violations in Colombia and alleged ties between politicians close to Uribe and right-wing paramilitaries.
Chavez, for his part, claimed that Bush was offering little more to Latin America than "false promises and manipulations" and suggested the US administration was plotting against him and his Bolivian ally, President Evo Morales.
"I am warning: the US embassies are continuing to launch plans for assassinations and coups in our countries," Chavez said during a visit to a military base near the Bolivian capital La Paz.
On Friday, Chavez addressed a 35,000-strong anti-Bush rally in Buenos Aires, where he described the US president as "political dead meat." He was scheduled to fly on to Nicaragua, where leftist former US foe Daniel Ortega made a comeback after presidential elections last year.
Bush admitted during his trip there were perceptions the United States had turned its back on Latin America, but insisted that was not the case, and stressed his tour meant to demonstrate US goodwill toward the region.
In Brazil and Uruguay, Bush discussed efforts to reach agreement in logjammed global trade talks.
He also netted an agreement from Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for cooperation in the promotion of ethanol, a biofuel whose production is dominated by the United States and Brazil.
Following his Colombian visit, Bush was scheduled to fly on to Guatemala and later to Mexico.
AFP 11 2022 GMT 03 07
Copyright© 2007 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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