Bush's visit to Latin America to counter 'false promises'

WASHINGTON: US President George W Bush heads to Latin America on Thursday to sell his message of democracy, free trade and cooperation with Washington, and to fight the growing sway of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.

Bush will seek to reassure Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico that the promotion of democratic governments and economic aid in the region remains an important US priority, even if the war in Iraq and the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking may have aroused some doubt.

In a speech on Monday, Bush spoke of the plight of the poor in Latin America, vowing that Washington would help work for social justice and prosperity in the region.

"And I'm going to make this pledge. The goal of this great country (United States), the goal of a country full of generous people, is an Americas where the dignity of every person is respected, where all find room at the table, and where opportunity reaches into every village and every home," Bush said.

Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, also warned that there were 'a lot of false promises today' in Latin America, in a clear reference to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and other like-minded leftist leaders with an anti-US stance.

Already wary of Venezuela and Cuba, the United States has looked on with concern as Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua have elected leftist presidents who share Chavez's view of 'American imperialism.'

Chavez plans to lead a large anti-US demonstration in Buenos Aires when Bush visits Uruguay, and when the US president tours Colombia, Chavez is expected to join another protest in neighboring Bolivia.

Hadley tried to minimize Chavez's influence, citing 15 elections held in the past 14 months in the region in which "a number of candidates have run successfully against that intervention (by Chavez)."

But he said Bush's commitment to Latin America and Africa has been overshadowed in the public mind by the fallout from the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

"I'm afraid one of the casualties of 9/11 and the war on terror is that these things have not been reported and covered as much as they should," Hadley said.

"The president said that he wanted to have an initiative and a trip that would showcase the other half of his agenda" for Latin America, he said. "He's been wanting that for some time, and we are finally, hopefully, going to deliver."

To counter what Hadley calls 'false promises,' Bush announced on Monday concrete measures to bolster education, housing and health care in the region, including the planned deployment in June of a US Navy medical ship offering treatment to thousands of poor patients.

"My message to those trabajadores y campesinos," Bush said, switching to the Spanish words for workers and peasants, "is you have a friend in the United States of America. We care about your plight."

Bush, widely disliked in the region for waging war in Iraq, is not expected to receive a warm public reception during his tour. But most Latin American governments still see good relations with the United States as vital, analysts said.

"Despite their differences, these countries share the same view: that the best way to protect their future is to strengthen relations with the United States," said Adolfo Garce, professor at the Institute of Political Science at the University of the Republic in Montevideo.

The president said Washington would support those governments combating corruption, building democracy and liberalizing trade.

Hadley said "part of the president's message is that if governments will make right choices, they will have a partner in the United States."

In Brazil, Bush plans to push for progress on trade issues and to sign an agreement promoting the production and consumption of ethanol.