POP & ROCK

‘Tis the season to be stumping. Just ask Bruce Springsteen, who Wednesday criticized the U.S. government for supporting such Latin American dictators as Gen. Augusto Pinochet of Chile. Springsteen, speaking at a Amnesty International news conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, said that he saw little room for improvement on that score if Republican aspirant George Bush is elected President. When asked how Amnesty’s current “Human Rights Now!” tour and its international exposure had affected his views on American foreign policy, Springsteen said: “I have been thinking about the role of the CIA in the world, about its role in the support of the (former Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio) Somozas and the Pinochets of the world.” Springsteen laughed when asked his choice in the U.S. presidential election, saying, “Well, I don’t expect much of Bush.” The Boss-man also expressed his desire to see that whoever wins the election visits Africa and South America, and asked for support of national liberation movements around the world.