MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Obama and McCain's campaigns have a Latinamerican chapter

The United States presidential campaign will also be fought in Latinamerica. Democrat candidate Barak Obama has named a US attorney married to a Brazilian to convince the 30.000 US citizens living in Brazil, while a businessman, resident in Sao Paulo will represent the Republican Party and candidate John McCain.

"The only leader capable of containing the image of United States badly affected by the Iraq war is Obama", said Patricia Ferrari in an interview with Folha de Sao Paulo. She admitted lobbying among the 30.000 US expatriates "without receiving a cent". Her job will be to organize conferences, talk to possible voters send e-mails and keep track of US voters in Brazil. "Obama is the presidential candidate which most enthusiasm has awaken in US history", said script writer Mike Boyungton who left the US for Brazil when President Bush was reelected in 2004 and is helping Ms Ferrari, according to the Brazilian press. The Republicans have Kevin Ivers, living in Brazil for the past twelve months and linked to business circles, to promote the candidacy of Senator Mc Cain. "Obama's image is growing", admitted Ivers but he also underlined that "the campaign is just beginning" and candidate McCain has "all the credentials needed to win next November". Meanwhile the Colombian press announced that the Arizona senator and Republican presidential candidate Mc Cain "will be visiting Colombia towards the end of the year" as part of his campaign and to reaffirm his international standing. In Washington an undisclosed member of Senator Mc Cain's team admitted "there's a chance the candidate will be visiting Colombia", and if so sometime "before November". Press reports in Bogotá said that Colombian president Alvaro Uribe "has already been informed of the visit". Colombia is one of the closest US allies in Latinamerica and the largest recipient of military aid. The US and Colombia signed a free trade agreement in 2006 which has Congressional ratification pending because the Democrat majority questions the human rights and labor rights record of the country. Republican candidate McCain this week again attacked Democrats for not supporting the US main ally in Latinamerica.