US President George W. Bush, who leaves Argentina for Brazil overnight, won little progress on his free trade agenda and got no relief from his political woes at an Americas summit here. At the same time, one of his senior aides warned Latin America not to follow Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, using language vaguely reminiscent of US criticisms that Iran and Syria are "out of step" with their neighbours. Mr Bush's first visit to Argentina drew tens of thousands of protesters, some of whom clashed with police, verbal broadsides from President Chavez, and even Argentine football hero Diego Maradona calling him "human rubbish." "It's not easy to host all these countries. It's particularly not easy to host, perhaps, me," Mr Bush quipped to Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, who did not react but struck a defiant tone in later remarks about Washington. Half a world away from the White House, Mr Bush's first question and answer session with reporters in a week focused largely on his slumping poll numbers amid the unpopular war in Iraq and a damaging CIA leak investigation.
At the same time, one of his senior aides warned Latin America not to follow Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, using language vaguely reminiscent of US criticisms that Iran and Syria are "out of step" with their neighbours.
Mr Bush's first visit to Argentina drew tens of thousands of protesters, some of whom clashed with police, verbal broadsides from President Chavez, and even Argentine football hero Diego Maradona calling him "human rubbish."
"It's not easy to host all these countries. It's particularly not easy to host, perhaps, me," Mr Bush quipped to Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, who did not react but struck a defiant tone in later remarks about Washington.
Half a world away from the White House, Mr Bush's first question and answer session with reporters in a week focused largely on his slumping poll numbers amid the unpopular war in Iraq and a damaging CIA leak investigation.
See also The peoples Summit and Bush visits Argentina - protests and riots ensue here on ET.
THIRTY-four nations in the Americas struggled overnight to find common ground on a US-led initiative to create pan-American free trade on the final day of a summit marred by violent anti-US protests. Market reforms and a proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) touted by US President George W. Bush have encountered growing scepticism amid persistent unemployment and poverty across the Americas. The two-day summit in the Atlantic resort of Mar del Plata highlighted the political polarization that has occurred since the end of the Cold War, as Latin American countries, including key nations Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Venezuela, shifted toward the left. Divisions over the issue of a free-trade zone for the Western Hemisphere, proposed in 1994 by the United States, continued to block the adoption of a final declaration just hours before the Summit of the Americas was to end. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, visibly annoyed, insisted that the FTAA was not supposed to be on the agenda.
Market reforms and a proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) touted by US President George W. Bush have encountered growing scepticism amid persistent unemployment and poverty across the Americas.
The two-day summit in the Atlantic resort of Mar del Plata highlighted the political polarization that has occurred since the end of the Cold War, as Latin American countries, including key nations Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Venezuela, shifted toward the left.
Divisions over the issue of a free-trade zone for the Western Hemisphere, proposed in 1994 by the United States, continued to block the adoption of a final declaration just hours before the Summit of the Americas was to end.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, visibly annoyed, insisted that the FTAA was not supposed to be on the agenda.
At the same time, one of his senior aides warned Latin America not to follow Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, using language vaguely reminiscent of US criticisms that Iran and Syria are "out of step" with their neighbors. Bush's first visit here drew tens of thousands of protesters, some of whom clashed with police, verbal broadsides from Chavez, and even Argentine football hero Diego Maradona calling him "human rubbish. " "It's not easy to host all these countries. It's particularly not easy to host, perhaps, me," Bush quipped Friday to Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, who did not react but struck a defiant tone in later remarks about Washington ... Bush, trying to convince a skeptical Latin American audience that the United States is a good neighbor, celebrated the region's embrace of democratic rule and pushed free trade as a cure-all for poverty and joblessness. Ahead of the final summit declaration, it was unclear how much progress he had made in reviving talks aimed at uniting the Western Hemisphere -- minus Cuba -- in a Free Trade Area of the Americas stretching from Canada to Chile.
Bush's first visit here drew tens of thousands of protesters, some of whom clashed with police, verbal broadsides from Chavez, and even Argentine football hero Diego Maradona calling him "human rubbish. " "It's not easy to host all these countries. It's particularly not easy to host, perhaps, me," Bush quipped Friday to Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, who did not react but struck a defiant tone in later remarks about Washington
... Bush, trying to convince a skeptical Latin American audience that the United States is a good neighbor, celebrated the region's embrace of democratic rule and pushed free trade as a cure-all for poverty and joblessness.
Ahead of the final summit declaration, it was unclear how much progress he had made in reviving talks aimed at uniting the Western Hemisphere -- minus Cuba -- in a Free Trade Area of the Americas stretching from Canada to Chile.
Only last year, the football legend seemed all but finished. His weight ballooned and he grappled with cocaine addiction. How, then, did he reinvent himself as a trim TV star and political hero? It was the pinnacle of his football career. At Mexico's Azteca Stadium, Diego Maradona lifted the World Cup, having led Argentina to victory over West Germany in the 1986 final. More than that, his breathtaking performances during the tournament had seen him acclaimed the best player in the world. Reason enough for satisfaction, one might think. But for Maradona, it was also a vindication, a slap in the face for all those who had criticised the team, for the referees who failed to protect him, for the organisers who had scheduled matches in the heat of Mexico's midday sun, for the British because of the Falklands War ... the list was long. ... Last week, Maradona was again leading the chanting, although this time its target was more focused. President George W Bush was in Argentina for a Latin American summit on Friday, and at the head of thousands of anti-Bush protesters was the man voted, in a poll organised by football's world governing body, the greatest ever to kick a ball, in his new guise of political activist. Maradona had announced he would lead the protests during his own mini-summit with his friend, Fidel Castro, on his hugely popular television chat show. Castro, who is excluded from this weekend's meeting in the resort town of Mar del Plata, denounced the plans for an American free trade area and applauded Maradona's plans to take that message to the US President. 'You deserve a statue,' he said. 'We're very happy that you'll be there.' To seal the compact, Maradona showed a surprised Castro the portrait of him he had had tattooed on his leg.
It was the pinnacle of his football career. At Mexico's Azteca Stadium, Diego Maradona lifted the World Cup, having led Argentina to victory over West Germany in the 1986 final. More than that, his breathtaking performances during the tournament had seen him acclaimed the best player in the world. Reason enough for satisfaction, one might think.
But for Maradona, it was also a vindication, a slap in the face for all those who had criticised the team, for the referees who failed to protect him, for the organisers who had scheduled matches in the heat of Mexico's midday sun, for the British because of the Falklands War ... the list was long.
... Last week, Maradona was again leading the chanting, although this time its target was more focused. President George W Bush was in Argentina for a Latin American summit on Friday, and at the head of thousands of anti-Bush protesters was the man voted, in a poll organised by football's world governing body, the greatest ever to kick a ball, in his new guise of political activist.
Maradona had announced he would lead the protests during his own mini-summit with his friend, Fidel Castro, on his hugely popular television chat show. Castro, who is excluded from this weekend's meeting in the resort town of Mar del Plata, denounced the plans for an American free trade area and applauded Maradona's plans to take that message to the US President. 'You deserve a statue,' he said. 'We're very happy that you'll be there.'
To seal the compact, Maradona showed a surprised Castro the portrait of him he had had tattooed on his leg.
[www.aubg.bg aubg]
5. replace () with <> and it shows up this way: Link
George Bush presumably knew before this weekend that the "hand of God" could be merciless. He certainly does now. Maradona, rather than Iraq, was uppermost on the US President's mind this weekend as he attended a summit of leaders from the Western hemisphere in the Argentinian beach resort of Mar del Plata. As domestic polls informed him that he was increasingly mistrusted by his fellow Americans, Mr Bush was clearly mortified to be called "human trash" by Latin America's equivalent of Michael Jordan - the Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona. Despite being a compatriot of Ché Guevara, Maradona is an unlikely revolutionary. He cheated at football but was forgiven on account of his genius on the field. He also screwed up with drugs and was forgiven for that, too, because he fought it and, so far, is overcoming it. But could he be a nail in George Bush's political coffin? Don't rule it out. Anyone who has spent time in Latin America recently knows Mr Bush is the least popular US president among Latin Americans in history. Five Latin American countries have voted in left-of-centre governments since he took office. From the indigenous people through to the middle classes and even among the elite, Latin Americans increasingly seek not the American dream, but the Latin American dream. They are disillusioned with what Maradona yesterday called "the American Empire".
As domestic polls informed him that he was increasingly mistrusted by his fellow Americans, Mr Bush was clearly mortified to be called "human trash" by Latin America's equivalent of Michael Jordan - the Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona.
Despite being a compatriot of Ché Guevara, Maradona is an unlikely revolutionary. He cheated at football but was forgiven on account of his genius on the field. He also screwed up with drugs and was forgiven for that, too, because he fought it and, so far, is overcoming it. But could he be a nail in George Bush's political coffin? Don't rule it out.
Anyone who has spent time in Latin America recently knows Mr Bush is the least popular US president among Latin Americans in history. Five Latin American countries have voted in left-of-centre governments since he took office. From the indigenous people through to the middle classes and even among the elite, Latin Americans increasingly seek not the American dream, but the Latin American dream. They are disillusioned with what Maradona yesterday called "the American Empire".
