MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bush praises “good friend” Uribe and promises more aid

President George W Bush thanked Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe for his support in the anti-drugs war and promised to work “intensely” to have US Congress ratify the free trade agreement between both countries.

Mr Bush was in Colombia's capital, Bogotá, on Sunday for a seven-hour visit as part of his five-nation Latin American tour. Several small bombs went off in Bogotá and other cities before the US president arrived and at least 25 people were arrested as riot police using tear gas clashed with demonstrators protesting against Bush's visit. Bush also promised an enlargement of the Plan Colombia which since the year 2000 has poured over four billion US dollars to help fight a long running war against Marxist inspired guerrillas and drug traffickers. Some US opposition Democrats are questioning a White House request for 3.9billion US dollars in new aid over the next seven years as well as the wisdom of a US trade deal with Colombia. Precisely Bush's visit was overshadowed by a scandal about alleged links between President Uribe's political allies and right wing paramilitaries. President Uribe has denied any ties between members of his government and the death squads at a joint press conference with Mr Bush on Sunday. "If there are members of this government that have links to these guerrillas they will immediately be removed from their offices" he said. However his Foreign Affairs minister was forced to resign after her father and brother Senator were arrested for alleged links to paramilitary, including elimination of political rivals. Bush openly supported Washington's top ally in the region saying "he was proud of calling President Uribe a friend and strategic ally". He added the "country has gone through very difficult moment and the best way to heal those wounds in to ensure a fair and quick justice". The probe into those allegations is precisely evidence of the strong commitment of the Uribe administration Uribe said he was grateful to President Bush for his "enthusiast support" of the Plan Colombia, which has been effective in combating the "gangs of terrorists, criminals and drug lords". Colombia is the world's main producer of cocaine. Last week, Mr Bush defended the 700 million US dollars a year aid programme and expressed his determination to press for congressional approval of free trade agreements signed with Colombia and Peru. Both presidents also addressed the US migratory policy and Bush assured Uribe that one of his priorities is the "migratory reform. I have asked Democrats in Congress to send me a draft bill as soon as possible". Over two million Colombians, legal and undocumented are estimated to be living in the US The security in Bogotá was unparalleled in the country's history with Colombian authorities having deployed 21,000 troops in addition to 7,000 police; this in addition to the US 300 secret service and security personnel which travel with he president on his five countries Latinamerica tour. After spending a few hours in Colombia, Bush left late Sunday for Guatemala and later to Mexico. He has already visited Brazil and Uruguay. Venezuela President Hugo Chavez is on a rival tour of Latin America at the same time. On Saturday during a visit to Bolivia, he launched a stinging attack on the US. Mr Chavez described capitalism as "the road to hell". He underlined the billions of dollars of aid Venezuela is ploughing into Bolivia's economy at a time when the US is reducing its contributions. Mr Chavez from Bolivia travels to Nicaragua and Haiti.