McCain in Mexico opposes re-negotiating NAFTA

McCain visits a skeptical Latin America

Mexico City; and BogotÁ, Colombia - On a three-day visit to Colombia and Mexico, Republican presidential hopeful John McCain is seeking to show that he cares about the same issues as Latin Americans: security, immigration, and trade.

But the tour will likely do little to woo people in the region, analysts say. Even though Mr. McCain enjoys a better image than President Bush in Latin America, Democratic contestant Barack Obama has an edge simply because he is the fresher figure, says Michael Shifter, the vice president for policy at the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington.

"[Senator] Obama is seen as someone who could understand a changing Latin America… one that rejects the 'you are on one side or the other' politics," says Mr. Shifter. Also, the fact that McCain has chosen to visit the region's most conservative leaders – Colombian President Álvaro Uribe and Mexican President Felipe Calderón – could underscore a more traditional mind set. "It reinforces the sense that he will stand with his friends," says Shifter. "But even the people in those countries say [US politicians] can't afford to look at the region that way."

McCain's visit to Colombia, where he met with Mr. Uribe on Tuesday, is an attempt to mark a difference with Obama on both trade issues and counterterrorism, says political commentator Andrés Peñate. A Colombian free trade deal negotiated between the Bush and Uribe governments is bogged down in the US Congress amid concerns from many Democrats about human rights, including a long history of violence against trade unionists in Colombia.

McCain praised Colombia in its fight against drug production and leftist rebels. In doing so, Mr. Peñate says McCain seeks to showcase Colombia as a "success story" of Republican foreign policy. The United States supplies Colombia with about $600 million a year in mostly military aid.

McCain holds Mexico talks

McCain, left, has already held talks with the Colombian leader [AFP]

John McCain has met Felipe Calderon, the Mexican president, for talks in the final part of his Latin American tour.

The US Republican presidential candidate said on Thursday that the two leaders had discussed issues central to both nations, such as immigration and drug trafficking.

McCain also indirectly criticised Barack Obama, his Democratic rival, over his policy towards the North American Free Trader Agreement (Nafta).

Obama has said he would re-open negotiations over the agreement.

McCain says he opposes moves to "unilaterally re-open" Nafta, a free trade pact between the US, Canada and Mexico.

Boosting profile

McCain had earlier visited Colombia - where he urged the US congress to pass a free trade deal between Colombia and the US - as part of a tour of Latin America aimed at boosting his profile and assuring the region and US voters of his foreign policy experience.

Analysts say the visit was also aimed at courting the US Latino communities, which comprise 15 per cent of the nation's population.

The Democrat-controlled US congress has stalled a free trade bill with Colombia following concerns over potential job losses in the US at a time when the nation's economy is in turmoil, as well as over concerns of rights abuses in the South American country.

Speaking at a news conference alongside Calderon, McCain praised recent US initiatives on border security, including the controversial border fence being built between the two nations.

He also urged the US to create a "temporary worker programme" in order to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing the border to find work.

The US congress approved $400m in aid last month to pay for drug smuggling surveillance equipment, the first instalment of the $1.4bn "Merida Initiative" package promised by George Bush, the US president.