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1994-05-02
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<text>
<title>
Democracy in Latin America
</title>
<article>
<hdr>
US Department of State Dispatch, April 13, 1992
Democracy in Latin America
</hdr>
<body>
<p>Statement by Department Spokesman Margaret Tutwiler,
Washington, DC, April 8, 1992.
</p>
<p> When this Administration took office, Nicaragua, Panama,
Paraguay, and Chile were dictatorships. All have successfully
moved toward democracy. The war in El Salvador has been ended
through negotiations, as has the war in Nicaragua.
</p>
<p> For the first time in a decade, Latin America, as a whole,
is growing economically. Net capital flows to the region are
positive. Under the Brady plan and the Enterprise for the
Americas Initiative, commercial or bilateral debt has been
reduced or forgiven in Mexico, Venezuela, Uruguay, Costa Rica,
Bolivia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guyana, and Chile. We think the
Administration's record is a very good one.
</p>
<p> Having said that, it is also true that democracy remains
fragile and threatened in many parts of the hemisphere. That is
why, in our view, it is very important for the United States to
remain engaged in the hemisphere.
</p>
<p> Frankly, we are disappointed that Congress has been unable
to be more supportive. We asked for $246 million in authority
to forgive over $1 billion in debt in the hemisphere in the
continuing resolution that just passed. Unfortunately, not a
penny was provided.
</p>
<p> The President remains committed to a North American Free
Trade Agreement; negotiations continue. But, again,
unfortunately, some in Congress do not support this effort.
</p>
<p> As for levels of aid, we would obviously like to do more in
many parts of the world, including Latin America. Nevertheless,
despite budget limits, we had allocated, as I stated yesterday,
$275 million in aid for Peru for Fiscal Year 1992. The United
States is feeding one out of every seven Peruvians today.
</p>
<p> We proposed, and the Congress passed, the Andean Trade
Preference Initiative which would provide duty-free access for
15% of Peru's products. We still are optimistic about democracy
in this hemisphere, but recent events in Peru, as well as those
in Haiti and Venezuela, demonstrate that democracy remains
embattled.
</p>
<p> We must remain engaged, and we must work through the
Organization of American States and other means to defend
democracy when it is threatened.
</p>
</body>
</article>
</text>