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The two-day Summit of the Americas ended in Monterrey, Mexico Tuesday with the United States making concessions on issues affecting its relations with the developing countries in Latin America.
During the summit, US President George W. Bush met with leaders in the region, including Mexican President Vicente Fox, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin.
The differences between the United States and the Latin American countries on issues such as the planned Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), the fight against corruption, security and immigration, received much media attention during the 34-nation summit.
Upon arrival at Monterrey several hours before the summit, Bush at a press conference together with Mexican President Fox, reiterated that the US government would allow Mexican migrants to work temporarily in the United States.
Prior to the summit, the United States was trying hard to put the FTAA issue on the agenda of the summit, but met with strong resistance from Latin American countries, with Brazil leading the opposition to the US proposal.
In the Declaration of Nuevo Leon released at the end of the summit, leaders agreed to support a hemisphere-wide trade area without setting a firm deadline. Observers here believe that the United States has made a concession to Brazil and Venezuela as it earlier sought a 2005 deadline for the FTAA.
Although the original timetable called for an accord by 2005, recent FTAA talks have stalled on the thorny issues like agricultural subsidies and intellectual property rights. Many Latin American leaders have questioned whether the original timetable is still realistic.
"It's time to act once and for all in the collective and primary interests of all of the Americas," said Brazilian President Lula.
His message was clear that his emphasis was on the southern half of the continent where free trade talks have stranded on contentious US agricultural subsidies and US intellectual property rights.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who signed the declaration, but with reservations, pushed for a humanitarian fund that could be used to help countries during financial and natural disasters.
Chavez suggested that a percentage of developing countries' foreign debts be dedicated to social causes such as health, education and poverty reduction.
"We have to change the model, the United States free trade focus on economic development. Let's recognize that we are on a very bad path," said Chavez.
In addition, the declaration does not call for banning corrupt governments from future summits, as the United States requested. Instead, the declaration only calls for consultations on countries that do not meet the requirements of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption.
Some Latin American countries fear that the US proposal for banning corrupt governments in the region may be used by the US government as a tool for removing governments it does not like.
Argentina has also slammed US government officials who have gone into an irritable and defensive mode over Argentina's trade and diplomatic links with Cuba.
Last week, US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roger Noriega said the United States was disappointed with Buenos Aires' approach to Cuba.
"There are particular incidents, instances where we have been disappointed with decisions by Argentine officials, for example, not to meet with dissidents in Cuba," Noriega said.
The US diplomat's remarks appeared to be aimed at a visit to Cuba in October by Argentine Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa. Cuban leader Fidel Castro was given a red carpet welcome when he went to Buenos Aires in May for President Nestor Kirchner's inauguration.
Buenos Aires reacted angrily to Noriega's remarks. Argentina's cabinet chief, Alberto Fernandez, said Noriega had been "downright impertinent" in his criticism of Argentina.
Moreover, Venezuela's Chavez, who refused to attend the summit's official dinner Monday night, told the United States to stop sticking its nose into his country's domestic political affairs.
Observers here said that at this summit the United States has made many concessions to Latin American nations in a bid to reverse the region's increasing disenchantment with US policy.
(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2004)
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