Bush, in Costa Rica, Sees Sweep of Democracy

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica —  President Bush hailed “the sweep of democracy through the hemisphere” as he joined Latin American leaders today for talks about drug trafficking, foreign debt and political strife.

Even before Bush’s arrival from Washington for a two-day celebration of Costa Rica’s 100 years of democracy, Panama’s military government was sniping at the United States from afar, and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega was castigating Bush for refusing to meet with him.

Bush did not mention either Panama or Nicaragua when he stepped off his plane but he won applause at a welcoming ceremony when he declared: “I believe we can create here in the Americas the world’s first completely democratic hemisphere.”

Ortega sat at least half a dozen seats away from Bush as the 17 hemispheric leaders began their first working session this afternoon at a resort hotel outside San Jose. Each was introduced to rounds of applause, and their deliberations at a long table were broadcast live on national television.

At the airport, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez announced a tentative agreement that will allow his country to reduce its $4.5-billion foreign debt burden by $1 billion. He said the agreement would reduce debt service by two-thirds.

Arias gave no further details but profusely thanked the United States for its help in achieving “the best gift we could possibly make to future generations of Costa Ricans.”

Bush and Arias shook hands and then embraced each other with hearty hugs.

Arriving ahead of Bush, Ortega told reporters that he hopes the meeting will be the first step toward talks between North and South America. “Without confronting the problems of the economy, commerce and the rights of nations to live in peace, democracy is at risk throughout Central America,” Ortega said.

Panamanian leader Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega wasn’t invited to the summit. But in advertisements placed in San Jose’s major newspapers, provisional Panamanian President Francisco Rodriguez told the leaders that democracy in Panama couldn’t be considered without also discussing U.S. economic and political pressure.