LatAm leaders fault U.S. on drugs, trade

By Martin Langfield

ATLANTA, April 28 (Reuter) Latin American and Caribbean leaders, invited by
former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to hammer out a ``hemispheric agenda'' for
the 21st century, slammed the United States on Monday for footdragging on
free trade and arrogance in its war on drugs.

Since the December 1994 Summit of the Americas in Miami, where 34 regional
governments pledged to create a free trade area from the Yukon to Tierra del
Fuego by 2005, little has been achieved and much impetus has been lost, they
said.

``The big question is: Will the United States be part of this or will the
United States be on the sidelines as they have been since the Summit of the
Americas?'' asked Bolivia's President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada.

Speaking at the opening session of the twoday meeting at the Carter Centre
in Atlanta, Sanchez said ``a bucket of cold water'' had fallen on free trade
efforts, partly because of Republican gains in 1994 midterm elections in the
United States and partly because of the 1994 Mexican peso crisis.

Some Republicans oppose expanding free trade agreements with other nations,
while the peso crisis bolstered political forces in the United States
concerned at the economic and political stability of Latin America.

Sanchez said Latin American countries were forging ahead with their own
efforts to set up free trade areas and were encouraged by the European
Union's interest in such accords. ``We think we'll have by the year 2000 at
least, maybe by the end of this year, the end of next year, a trading bloc of
all of South America,'' he predicted.

Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez said the United States was in
danger of losing ``credibility as a nation towards Latin America for its
inablity to transform rhetoric and promises into concrete realisations.''

In particular, he said, the expansion of free trade to all the Americas would
require the U.S. Congress to approve ``fast track'' treatment for such a pact
similar to that which allowed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
with Mexico and Canada to be voted on as a whole and not opened up to debate
about provisions for specific industries or sectors.

Carter, president from 1977 to 1981, agreed with critics of fellow Democrat
President Bill Clinton. ``High expectations of rapid action ... have not been
realised,'' he said.

Jamaica Prime Minister P.J. Patterson criticised the controversial
``certification'' process by which the United States annually certifies which
other countries continue to be allies in its antinarcotics efforts.
``Certification ... does not make for partnership, it does not make for
friendship ... it is obvious that the process does more harm than good,''
Patterson said.

Organisation of American States Secretary General Cesar Gaviria also weighed
in, telling delegates ``certification is unilateral'' and something to be
avoided in the future.

Latin American nations resent the process, which they consider insulting to
national sovereignty.

U.S. drug czar Gen. Barry McCaffrey barely disagreed. ``Many would argue that
we need clearly to establish a more multinational and cooperative
relationship if we expect to make any progress on this terrible issue,'' he
said, adding that the U.S. Congress should look again at the law requiring
certification.

Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo and U.S. Speaker of the House of
Representatives Newt Gingrich were due to address the conference later on
Monday while U.S. Vice President Al Gore was scheduled to speak at a closing
dinner on Tuesday.