MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Quebec presidential summit

This Friday and during the weekend 34 presidents of the three Americas (with the exception of Cuba) will be discussing in Quebec, Canada, the recent documents drafted in Buenos Aires and Toronto for the creation a Free Trade Association extending from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, potentially turning the area into the world's main block: 800 million people and double the European Union GDP.

But even if all presidents at the III Presidential summit of the Americas agree on the benefits of an increase in trade, there are several discrepancies as to how and when to achieve the goal. On the one side, US president George W. Bush is pressing for lower tariffs and a shorter timetable (currently January 2005), together with Canada, and challenging them Brazilian president Fernando Cardoso with the Mercosur block, who demand freer access to markets, less farming protectionism and an end to non tariff barriers.

However smaller countries particularly Chile, and even Uruguay, fearful of endless bickering are aiming for bilateral agreements with United States.

The Andean Community members, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, are inclined to demand a special treatment for the lesser dynamic and smaller economies of the region insisting on "balanced" agreements and a consensus spirit that benefits all countries.

Most of Central America and the Caribbean have special access agreements in certain sectors with the United States, and Mexico is a full member of Nafta, North America Free Trade Area.

But in spite of all the good chemistry, and the drafting of a strong democratic clause condemning regimes that are not freely elected, which promises unanimous backing, neither Mr. Bush or Mr. Cardoso arrive in full force. Republicans in Congress did not explicitly deny the fast track legislation US presidents require to negotiate trade agreements, but said the priority was relaunching a stagnant US economy.

On the other hand Brazil and Argentina rather selfish external tariff policies could very well lead to a dismembering of Mercosur.