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Grades 4-6

Touring Latin America

Nellie Gonzalez Cutler

When George W. Bush campaigned for the Presidency in 2000, he promised that the United States would be a good friend to our neighbors to the south. They would be a focus of his Administration. But the events of September 11, 2001, pushed the fight against terrorism to the top of the nation's agenda. On March 8, President Bush set out on a six-day, five-nation trip to show his commitment to Latin America.

"The trip is to remind people that we care. I do worry that some say, 'The (U.S.) hasn't paid enough attention to us.' When in fact, the record has been a strong record," Bush said on CNN en Español.

The White House points out that this is the President's 11th trip to nations in the Western Hemisphere. Aid to Latin America has grown from $800 million a year in 2001 to $1.6 billion.

People to People

Bush made plans to visit Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico, and to meet with each country's president. He wanted to discuss trade, alternative fuel, fighting illegal drug traffic and improving people's lives.

"Nearly one out of four people in Latin America lives on less than two dollars a day," Bush told a group of Hispanic business leaders in Washington, D.C., last week. "It is in our national interest to help the people in democracies in our neighborhood succeed."

Bush announced plans to boost "people to people" ties. A three-year, $75 million program will help students improve their English and give them the opportunity to study in the U.S. In June, a Navy medical ship, the Comfort, will bring doctors and dentists to the Caribbean and Central America. In addition, military medical teams will fan out across 14 countries to provide care.

For now, some people oppose the President's visit. Even before his arrival, protesters took to the streets in Brazil and Colombia. Leading the charge is Venezuela's president, Hugo Ch.vez. He traveled to Buenos Aires, in nearby Argentina, to head up an anti-U.S. rally at a soccer stadium on March 10. That's one country that is not on the President's schedule.

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