The Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, says he's put aside doubts about Colombia's multi-billion dollar drugs-offensive, known as Plan Colombia.

Speaking at a meeting of Andean leaders in Cartagena, he offered his support for what he described as peace and social development in Colombia.

In the past President Chavez has expressed concern over the military aspects of the plan saying they would lead to the spillover of violence into Venezuela and likened the US's financial backing for the offensive to its involvement in Vietnam. The Andean leaders are in Cartagena to agree a joint position at the trade talks at this weekend's Americas Summit in Quebec.

They are asking the United States for an extension of existing preferential tariffs as a reward for their efforts against drug trafficking and for Venezuela, which is currently excluded from the deal, to be included

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1285000/1285465.stm

-- Anonymous, April 20, 2001

Answers

Bush moves to soothe Andean worries over drug war

President George W. Bush, meeting with Andean leaders here Friday as the Summit of the Americas opened, told them he wants to cooperate "not just on helping to fight drugs" but on trade and education, too.

"Our nation looks forward to working with you, particularly when it comes to trade and commerce," he told leaders from Brazil Panama, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela Bolivia, and Colombia.

"We've got plans for all the countries in the region, and it's not just on helping to fight drugs. It's on making sure that the economies remain strong, that the infrastructure for education is in place," said the US president.

Bolivian President Hugo Banzer and Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso were late to the meeting because Canadian police had closed down traffic, according to a White House aide.

"I wanted to visit with the leaders face to face," said Bush, who hopes the three-day summit will build momentum behind the Free Trade Area of the Americas, which aims to comprise 825 million people from Canada to Chile.

Bush also acknowledged regional concerns about US support for Plan Colombia, Bogota's ambitious plan to eradicate combat drug trafficking and left-wing insurgencies as well as bolster the county's flagging economy.

"I want to assure the leaders that Plan Colombia means more than just the country of Colombia. I know that's of concern to the president of Ecuador," Gustavo Noboa, Bush said.

"I look forward to a very frank and honest exchange of areas where we can cooperate, and if there are some problems, areas that we can work togeher to solve the problem," Bush said, adding "el honor es mio" -- the honor is mine

http://asia.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/world/article.html? s=asia/headlines/010421/world/afp/Bush_moves_to_soothe_Andean_worries_ over_drug_war.html

-- Anonymous, April 20, 2001

Mexican army leaves Chiapas

The Mexican army has withdrawn from its remaining bases in the southern state of Chiapas - one of the key conditions the Zapatista rebels had set for their return to peace talks, which were suspended five years ago.

Speaking at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec, Mexican President Vicente Fox said it was now time for face-to-face peace talks with the rebels.

But the withdrawal has raised fears of a security vaccuum. The government plans to turn the bases into development centres for the local indigenous communities. But the departure does not guarantee that peace talks will start.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1288000/1288865 .stm

-- Anonymous, April 20, 2001

Brazil moves to protect Indians

The Brazilian government has allocated almost two-million hectares of land for the creation of fourteen new Indian reserves.

The Justice Minister, Jose Gregori, described the move as a key step in giving indigenous communities control over their land.

All but three of the reserves will be in the Amazon region, where most of Brazil's three-hundred-thousand Indians live.

Mr Gregori said nearly twelve percent of Brazilian land was now under Indian control. On Thursday hundreds of Indians marched through the capital, Brasilia, in protest against discrimination.

They also demanded greater protection against loggers and miners who, they say, regularly invade their land. Correspondents say, after years of decline, the Indian population in Brazil is on the rebound, and studies show it's grown at almost twice the rate of the general population since the mid-1990's.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1287000/1287924 .stm

-- Anonymous, April 20, 2001