Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA) Contact: http://www.sjmercury.com/ Pubdate: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 UNFRIENDLY NEIGHBOR? -- LATIN AMERICA HAS REASON TO WONDER ABOUT U.S. AS a Summit of the Americas begins in Chile on Saturday, our hemispheric neighbors must be wondering just how friendly a neighbor the United States wants to be. The primary doubts concern trade, where previous U.S. enthusiasm has slackened. And a lingering irritant is the continuing dispute over who bears the blame for the drug trade -- the producers or the users. At a pan-American summit convened in Miami in 1994, the countries vowed to begin to set up a Free Trade Area of the Americas, an idea first proposed by President Bush. The current summit marks the kick-off of serious negotiations. In the meantime, however, the U.S. Congress has turned queasy about free trade, most notably in denying President Clinton the fast-track trade authority that would enable him to negotiate treaties expeditiously. In addition, Chile, which was to join the United States, Mexico and Canada in the North American Free Trade Agreement, has been left waiting at the door. This is the wrong direction. The United States should be promoting open trade, not only for the benefit of Latin American countries, but for the American economy as well. A third of all U.S. exports are destined for Latin America, the fastest growing market for U.S. goods. Trade is not the only issue before the summit. The participants have agreed on a $1 billion plan for improving education and reducing poverty. Both would help to strengthen democracy, which in many countries is as unsteady as a toddler. Except for Cuba -- not invited to the summit -- all the countries in Latin America are democratic, at least officially. But in Bolivia, a former dictator has returned to power, although by election; former strongmen are leading in Venezuela and Paraguay. The presidents of Argentina and Peru are seeking constitutional changes to permit them to continue in office. The United States needs to do what it can to rally the forces of genuine democracy. It will be more credible as it does so if it drops its arrogant policy of ``certifying'' countries as making acceptable efforts in the war on drugs. Drugs are causing harm in the United States, but they are devastating some Latin American countries far more tragically. These countries are understandably offended by a U.S. approach that amounts to saying ``we'll tell you when you're good enough for us.'' The summit finds Latin America making overall progress toward freedom and prosperity. Neither stands or falls with the United States alone, but the countries to the south will do better if they have a good neighbor to the north.