Pubdate: Mon, 12 Mar 2007
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Copyright: 2007 Houston Chronicle Publishing Company Division, Hearst Newspaper
Contact:  http://www.chron.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/198
Author: John Otis and Patty Reinert
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

BUSH TOUTS URIBE'S PROGRESS IN DRUG WAR

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA -- Saying he's proud to call Colombia's 
scandal-weakened leader his friend, President Bush pledged Sunday to 
press for more aid to help the him fight drug traffickers and 
guerrillas and secure a trade accord for the South American nation.

But even though Bush received a warm welcome from President Alvaro 
Uribe, the Bush administration's closest ally in Latin America, he 
stayed in Bogota just seven hours because of security concerns.

On the streets of the capital, anti-Bush protesters clashed with riot 
police, looted banks and set fires, but they were kept well away from 
the presidential palace where the leaders conferred.

Bush issued a rousing endorsement of Uribe and his government, which 
has been battered in recent months by allegations that political 
allies of the president collaborated with cocaine-and-death-dealing 
paramilitary militias.

Colombia receives about $700 million a year in U.S. aid, the highest 
amount of American assistance for any nation outside the Middle East. 
Bush said Sunday that the aid must continue flowing to help Uribe 
keep up the fight against drug traffickers and rebels.

"I appreciate your steadfast strength," Bush said to Uribe directly, 
adding that "I'm proud to call you a personal friend."

The stopover in Bogota was the third leg of Bush's weeklong, 
five-country tour of Latin America.

In a region dominated by leftist governments, the conservative Uribe 
has long been regarded as Washington's golden boy. During his five 
years in office, the Colombian army has pushed the guerrillas out of 
many parts of the country, the number of kidnappings have dropped, 
and 31,000 right-wing paramilitary gunmen disarmed.

But the so-called para-politics scandal now threatens to overshadow 
such gains. So far, eight pro-government congressmen as well as 
Uribe's hand-picked intelligence chief have been jailed.

Adding to Uribe's problems, the Democrats now control the U.S. 
Congress and they have been far more willing to criticize the 
Colombian president than the Republicans.

As a result, the fate of a trade accord signed by the two nations in 
November is in doubt. In addition, many Democrats have expressed 
concern about human rights violations and about the lack of progress 
in the drug war.

"Forgive us if we want to see more results," Rep. James McGovern, 
D-Mass., said last week during a trip to Bogota.

At the news conference Sunday, Uribe stood his ground. He said his 
administration has done more than any other Colombian government to 
investigate and prosecute paramilitary warlords and said guilty 
politicians would be punished.

Bush rose to Uribe's defense. "I appreciate the president's 
determination to bring human rights violators to justice," the 
president said. "It's going to be very important for the U.S. 
Congress to see that determination, and I believe, given a fair 
chance, President Uribe can make that case."

Bush was asked whether the Colombian government should attempt to 
rescue three American defense contractors kidnapped by guerrillas 
four years ago or arrange for a prisoner exchange with the rebels. 
The president replied that he trusted Uribe to make the right call.

"I'm concerned about their safety," Bush said. "These are three 
innocent folks held hostage for too long. The kidnappers ought to 
show some heart."

After the news conference, Bush talked to members of the 
Afro-Colombian community at a round table about human rights and 
development. Then he went into a courtyard at the presidential palace 
to meet vendors selling so-called alternative products produced to 
replace coca crops, used to make cocaine.

At the end of the visit, two motorcades left for the airport. One 
carried the president and Mrs. Bush; the other was a decoy.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman