Powell implores Central America to shift focus to new challenges

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Tue, Nov. 04, 2003

Powell implores Central America to shift focus to new challenges
BY WARREN P. STROBEL
Knight Ridder Newspapers

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - (KRT) - Secretary of State Colin Powell urged Central American leaders Tuesday to focus on new threats and opportunities and shelve a past often characterized by militarism and mismanagement.

His message came during a rare, two-day visit to the largely impoverished region. Critics say the United States has ignored Central America for more than a decade, since the end of the Cold War.

Powell's stops in Honduras and Nicaragua were no coincidence. Leaders in both countries are attempting to battle corruption and reform their economies, and have sent small numbers of troops to assist the U.S. reconstruction of Iraq. (snip)

Powell, who met Tuesday morning with Nicaragua's defense minister and army chief, alluded to his own role during the Reagan administration, when he helped carry out a U.S. policy of arming the anti-communist rebels, known as contras, who were fighting the leftist Nicaraguan government.

"I was part of an earlier era. But this is a different era," he said.(snip/...)

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/world/7182013.htm

[hatrack]

1. Is Powell asking them to "change the tone"?

"After all, we don't topple your governments and sponsor death squads anymore (well, except for Colombia and Venezuela and Bolivia, and they're in SOUTH America, not Central America).

But other than that, it's a bright new day in Central America, so get with the program!"

[Sagan]

2. "Sure, we fucked you over before... a LOT.."

"..but this is a different era.. in this era, we don't want you greasers to REMEMBER that we fucked you over!"

Then Powell asked for donations to help elect Chimpy....

[Malva Zebrina]

3. Powell still thinks that what he says

has any import? Pathetic

[arcos]

5. Sadly it does...

Robert Zoellick came to Costa Rica to demand that the government's monopoly on telecommunications be opened up for the free trade agreement with the US, and even after the government had said time after time they weren't going to open the market, now they say they will.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Omigosh!

Look what just showed up!

U.S. Memo Denigrating Nicaragua Surfaces During Powell's Visit
By George Gedda Associated Press Writer
Published: Nov 4, 2003




MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - The State Department is distancing itself from an official U.S. memo released during the visit of Secretary of State Colin Powell that describes Nicaragua as a country with little hope and portrays pro-Americans there in unflattering terms.

"Nicaragua crawls along as the second-poorest country in the hemisphere after Haiti, battered by storms of nature and their own making, with little hope of changing things in the future," said the unsigned document released by the U.S. Embassy.

"Privileged Nicaraguans see the U.S. in a generally favorable light. They prefer to dress in Ralph Lauren shirts, drive large Ford SUVs, watch American movies and, when going out for a meal, brag that they go out to T.G.I. Friday's."

The reporters accompanying Powell here found the document in a press packet distributed after Powell arrived late Monday for a 16-hour visit. (snip/...)
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAKZLMIMMD.html

Now THAT'S going to go over well.