Venezuela Has State Dept. Concerned *** WASHINGTON (AP) - Democracy must once again thrive in Venezuela in order for that country and the United States to have a strong relationship, a State Department official said Friday, two weeks after a coup temporarily ousted President Hugo Chavez. In the past three years under Chavez, the United States has increasingly become concerned about "the health of institutions in Venezuela that are essential to democracy," said Lino Gutierrez, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. "For the U.S.-Venezuela relationship to thrive again, it is essential to revitalize Venezuela's democracy," Gutierrez said. "The U.S. has a serious desire of good relations with Venezuela."***
President Bush needs to promote a role model in Latin America*** Argentina has defaulted on its foreign debt and is on the verge of political anarchy; Venezuela's democracy is hanging by a thread following bloody riots and a short-lived military coup; Colombia's guerrilla war is intensifying; and several other South American countries suffer growing political unrest. And Latin America as a whole is wondering whether Bush will succeed in convincing the Senate to pass a ''fast-track'' bill to expedite a 34-nation agreement to launch a hemisphere-wide free trade area by 2005. A Senate vote on the issue could come as early as Tuesday and, if approved, the bill would go to the full Congress.
…… What could Bush do? He could take several measures that would give Fox something to show at home, such as giving legitimacy to ID cards Mexican consulates are handing out to Mexican undocumented workers in the United States or submitting migration legislation to Congress to get Washington to focus on the issue. If the Bush administration won't put its full political weight behind the hemisphere-wide free trade zone, and if it's not going to rescue bankrupt countries, the least it should do is help the best performers in the region become democratic and free market success stories. Otherwise, there won't be an incentive for others to follow in their steps. ***