Some observers say Bush's Latin America trip was too little, too late

Published: 2007-03-19

LIMA, Peru (CNS) -- While U.S. President George W. Bush's weeklong swing through five Latin American countries in March was meant to show that the United States cares about its neighbors to the south, some observers have said it was too little, too late. "The problem is that he came at a time when U.S. aid to Latin America is being reduced, so he has little practical to offer beyond goodwill gestures," said Farid Kahhat, head of international politics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru in Lima. Lisa Haugaard, executive director of Latin America Working Group, said Bush claims U.S. aid to Latin America has doubled under his administration, but "he's playing games with the numbers." Latin America Working Group is a Washington-based coalition of faith-based, humanitarian and grass-roots groups. Aid "has probably gone up about one-third since the last year of the Clinton administration," but about half is for military and anti-narcotics programs, Haugaard told Catholic News Service. Bush's most concrete proposal came in Brazil, where he and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva unveiled a plan to promote ethanol to reduce dependence on petroleum.

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