Bush OKs Aid Programs for Latin America

[Judi Lynn]

Bush OKs Aid Programs for Latin America
Monday March 5, 2007 5:16 PM
By TERENCE HUNT
AP White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush, facing criticism he has ignored Latin America, has approved new initiatives to offer better health care, expand education, spur small businesses and increase home ownership in the region.

``Poverty, inequality and social exclusion in the Americas (are) unacceptably high,'' National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said Monday.

Bush was to announce the programs in a speech later in the day. The president will leave Thursday on a weeklong trip to Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico.

Hadley said Bush's efforts in Latin American have been overshadowed by the global war on terror, the fight against illegal drug trafficking and trade issues.

``It's something we have not done well enough, getting out the full scope of the president's message,'' Hadley said.
(snip/...)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6459020,00.html

[Tempest]

1. And in the meantime

The number of Americans without health care is at the highest level in history.

Education in the U.S. is woefully underfunded.

Small businesses in the U.S. are struggling.

And Americans are losing their houses due to foreclosures in record numbers.

[John Q. Citizen]

3. Don't be too jealous. It's all talk and no action anyway. He is probably going

to just fund the Columbian Military.

[robinlynne]

5. unfortunately there is action. American action often results in military coups.

[John Q. Citizen]

8. bush is far more likely to fund an attack on a health clinic than to build one.

[liberal N proud]

2. This kind of shit pisses me off - Health Care and Education for other countries

While the son of a bitch doesn't even consider anything to fix health care in this nation. And his education polices are anything but educational.

:mad:

[robinlynne]

4. oh no. latin America does not want our "AID". keep your aid to yourselves,

republicons.

[bdamomma]

6. is he giving aid to his new relocation??? of Paraguay.

[maddezmom]

7. Scandal colors Bush visit to U.S. ally Colombia

Scandal colors Bush visit to U.S. ally Colombia
05 Mar 2007 18:11:53 GMT
Source: Reuters

Background
• Colombia displacement


MORE >>
By Patrick Markey

BOGOTA, March 5 (Reuters) - A scandal tying allies of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to paramilitary gangs has U.S. Democrats questioning aid and trade deals days before President George W. Bush meets with his closest Latin American ally.

Washington has pumped $4 billion into "Plan Colombia" since 2000 to help fight the country's cocaine-fueled insurgency, but Democrats are monitoring the "para-political" scandal as they review a White House request for $3.9 billion in new aid.

"This obviously concerns us and the American people need assurances that the government has severed links with any paramilitary terrorist group," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat and chairman of the Senate panel that overseas funding of Plan Colombia.

more:http://mobile.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N05240149.htm

[Judi Lynn]

9. LTTE from Newsobserver: Destructive aid to Colombia

Letter: Published: Mar 05, 2007 12:30 AM
Modified: Mar 05, 2007 06:53 AM

Destructive aid to Colombia

Thank you for publishing the Feb. 20 Associated Press article on the ties between the Colombian government and paramilitaries death squads. President Bush and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe recently announced that they are proposing a "Plan Colombia 2" -- five more years of the same bad policy!
The Bush administration is asking Congress to approve nearly $450 million in military aid to Colombia in this year's foreign aid bill. The idea of extending the current U.S. role in Colombia is truly scary. Despite worsening human rights abuses by the Colombian military, the forced displacement of more than 3 million Colombians and inhumane and utterly ineffective aerial spraying programs, the Bush administration wants more of the same. Its plan would maintain approximately the same levels of military and police aid for Colombia through 2013: $446 million a year, which represents 76 percent of the total aid package.

The one factor significantly different this year is the new Congress. Although the administration has proposed this plan, it is up to Congress to fund it each year. There will be resistance in Congress to continuing this failed policy. We need to tell Congress that we support social aid to Colombia that will alleviate the humanitarian crisis, not military aid to fuel Colombia's war.

Gail S. Phares

Witness for Peace Southeast

Raleigh

http://www.newsobserver.com/580/story/549793.html