Powell begins Latin America trip-- Meets with colleagues at OAS assembly

Monday, June 9, 2003 Posted: 1307 GMT ( 9:07 PM HKT)

SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Chile on Sunday to meet his Latin American colleagues as a group for the first time since disagreements over the U.S. invasion of Iraq early this year.

Most Latin American countries, mindful of U.S. intervention in their region, opposed the invasion, but welcome the attention implied by Powell's attendance at the annual assembly of the Organization of American States in Santiago.

Powell will also travel to neighboring Argentina on Tuesday to meet newly elected President Nestor Kirchner, symbolically endorsing his campaign to rid the country of cronyism and corruption after economic and political turmoil.

The Bush administration came to office with promises to pay more attention to its southern neighbors, but Latin Americans, especially Mexicans, feel they have slipped down its list of priorities because of Washington's focus on Iraq, Afghanistan and President George W. Bush's "global war on terrorism."

The two Latin American U.N. Security Council members, Chile and Mexico, which did not support the U.S. quest for an explicit endorsement of its Iraq invasion, have important economic reasons for avoiding confrontation with the world's most powerful nation.

Speaking to reporters aboard his plane, Powell cited strong U.S. relations with both countries and said he did not expect the disagreement to mar ties.

"We're anxious to talk about the future and not the past and I don't see any lasting consequences," Powell said.

"After all the time and attention that we spent on Iraq, the Middle East and elsewhere, we're looking forward to once again turning our diplomatic attention to our own hemisphere."

Cuba off agenda

The annual assembly brings together the foreign ministers or other representatives of 34 countries in the Americas, and the theme this year is good governance in the region.

The OAS has kept off the agenda the question of human rights in Cuba, which has cracked down on dissidents this year, because many members say Cuba cannot defend itself at the OAS. Cuba has been excluded from OAS deliberations since 1962.

But Powell said he would discuss the situation in that country anyway.

"I will talk about Cuba rather directly, point out once again, that Cuba remains the anachronism of the hemisphere and it's not getting better," he said.

A State Department official said last week the United States expected the meeting to release a declaration reaffirming member states' commitment to good governance, including increased efficiency, probity and transparency in public administration.

The meeting will also keep up diplomatic pressure on Haiti's government to move toward democratic elections.

Venezuela, one of the Latin American countries least favorable to the Bush administration, plans to circulate a document condemning the "powerful multinational oligarchies" it says dominate the Venezuelan media.

Many dominant media organizations in Venezuela were sympathetic to the unsuccessful campaign early this year to remove populist President Hugo Chavez from office.

But the U.S. official said he doubted Venezuela could muster much support.

Monday afternoon, the ministers will prepare for a special interim Summit of the Americas expected in Mexico late this year, between the Quebec summit of 2001 and the next regular summit in Argentina in 2005.