2004-1-16
This is Steve Ember with In the News, in VOA Special English.
Leaders of thirty-four countries in the Americas met this week in
Monterrey, Mexico. The leaders from north, central and south America
and the Caribbean discussed trade, terrorism and poverty.
Mexican President Vicente Fox led
the special Summit of the Americas. Mister Fox praised the two days
of talks but noted there were often sharp differences of opinion.
The main disputes were about the issues of free trade and helping
the poor.
President Bush wanted the leaders to set a time limit of
two-thousand-five to create a Free Trade Area of the Americas. That
would bring together countries from Argentina to Canada, except for
Cuba. Cuba's leader, Fidel Castro, was not invited to the summit.
Eight-hundred-million people live in the thirty-four nations
represented at the meeting. About half live in the United States,
Canada and Mexico. Some leaders said the conference did not do
enough for the other half. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da
Silva said the main goal should be to help the poor. He said free
trade alone will not solve this problem.
President Bush and President Fox noted economic growth in their
countries as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
That agreement, known as NAFTA, is ten years old. It links Mexico,
the United States and Canada. But some research says NAFTA has
failed to improve living conditions in Mexico.
Mexico and Canada were the countries that gained the most from
the United States during the summit and before. During the talks,
President Bush promised Canada the chance to take part in future
rebuilding projects in Iraq. The Bush administration had said
countries that opposed the war, as Canada did, could not take part
in those projects.
Also, days before the summit, President Bush announced a
temporary worker program for people who entered the United States
illegally. The country has an estimated eight-million to as many as
twelve-million illegal immigrants. Immigration officials estimated
that almost five-million came from Mexico as of January of
two-thousand.
Mexico's president called the proposal a very important step
forward. Mister Fox also accepted another invitation to visit Mister
Bush at his home in Texas in March. Mister Bush's proposal would let
illegal immigrants work legally for at least three years. Honduran
President Ricardo Maduro said the plan would give people closer ties
to Latin Americans in the United States.
The final declaration at the summit did not set a date to
establish the Free Trade Area of the Americas. And it did not
include an American proposal to bar leaders of dishonest governments
from future meetings. But the leaders did promise greater
cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Cynthia Kirk.
This is Steve Ember.