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Bush concludes Latin American tour marked by violent protests
AFP/Ronaldo Schemidt
A demonstrator burns a mock-up of a US flag during a rally in front of the US embassy in Mexico City, 13 March, protesting for the presence of US President George W. Bush in Mexico.By Laurent Lozano
AFP
MERIDA, Mexico
Petroleumworld.com 03 15 07US President George W. Bush Wednesday pledged to push for changes on immigration and trade issues that rankle Mexico, where he concluded a goodwill tour of Latin America dogged by a week of violent protests.
"I think we can find a rational way forward, somewhere in between automatic citizenship and kicking people out of the country," Bush said in reference to his efforts to get the US Congress to reform immigration legislation.
Bush acknowledged Mexican discontent over tariffs the United States imposes on imports of some commodities, particularly corn and beans.
"I will work, Mr. President, to reject those protectionist sentiments, because I believe trade is one of the best avenues to help common prosperity," he told his counterpart Felipe Calderon after two days of talks in the southeastern Mexican city of Merida.
Like the other stops on his trip, Bush's Mexican visit was marred by demonstrations that turned violent, as clashes between police and protesters Tuesday left about two dozen people injured and more than 23 detained.
And for much of his trip, Bush was shadowed by his regional nemesis, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who conducted his own tour across the region, trashing Bush at each stop along the way.
Throughout his tour, Bush pointedly declined to respond to the virulent taunts by Chavez, who repeatedly called him "political dead meat."
Asked on Wednesday whether he had tried to convince Calderon to help counter the firebrand Venezuelan's regional influence, Bush simply repeated the message of goodwill he spread on his trip.
"One of the reasons I've come down here again is to remind people in this important part of the world that the United States cares deeply about the human condition," he said.
But the conservative Mexican president had set a tough tone for the talks, criticizing the wall the United States is building along the common border and saying Mexico felt neglected by its powerful neighbor.
Bush promised to do his best to reform immigration policies, which are widely hated among Mexicans who make up the bulk of the 12 million immigrants living in the United States illegally.
"I will work with Congress, with members of both political parties, to pass immigration law that will enable us to respect the rule of law and at the same time respect humanity in a way that upholds the values of the United States of America," he said.
The US president has pushed for legalizing the status of some of the illegal immigrants through a guest-worker program, but stressed an outright amnesty was out of the question.
The immigration issue is crucial for Mexico, whose economy relies heavily on an estimated 20 billion dollars in remittances from nationals working in the United States.
Bush has insisted a tight border was crucial in order to halt illegal crossings and drug trafficking from Mexico, the main trans-shipment route for cocaine and heroin from Colombia, and a leading producer of US-bound marijuana, heroin and methamphetamine.
But Calderon suggested that investing in the impoverished areas Mexican migrants flee would be more effective in halting illegal border crossings than erecting a wall separating the two countries.
Throughout the trip, Bush stressed US commitment and generosity toward Latin America, where many countries feel the United States has turned its back on the region as it focuses on its "war on terror."
The White House also played down the importance of the protests that accompanied Bush in Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico.
As Bush was dining with some of Mexico's wealthiest men in Merida Tuesday night, about 300 people clashed with police and smashed offices in the municipal palace.
In Mexico City, about 1,000 people shouted anti-US slogans outside the US embassy. Later several hundred protesters hurled rocks and paint at police who responded by firing tear gas and charging the crowd.
AFP 14 2053 GMT 03 07
Copyright© 2007 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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