President Bush heads to South America on Thursday at a time when Washington’s long-sought free-trade plan with the region has gone cold, anti-American sentiment has heated to a steady boil and massive street protests seem likely. The trip, which ends on Monday, is geared toward the economy and trade, and will take the president and first lady Laura Bush to the Summit of the Americas at Mar del Plata, Argentina, and then on to stops in Brazil and Panama.
Not only are negotiations for the so-called Free Trade Area of the Americas stalled, but Bush is also hobbled by tricky relationships with several South American leaders he will meet at the summit, notably Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a leftist who calls Bush ”Mr. Danger.” Full Story
