NATION : Bush Still Plans Colombia Visit
President Bush still hopes to attend a drug summit in Colombia in February, but top aides are re-evaluating the trip plans because of continuing violence there, federal drug policy director William J. Bennett said today.
“You have to be concerned with everybody’s safety in Colombia these days. It’s really very, very rough,” Bennett told reporters aboard Air Force One. He was traveling with the President, who is wrapping up a two-day, three-state trip to participate in anti-drug rallies and to help raise funds for Republican candidates.
Bennett said, “I haven’t seen any hesitation” on Bush’s part in terms of going to Cartagena for the summit.
“But you don’t want to be foolhardy. You don’t want to be reckless,” he said.
He said he is sending his chief of staff, John Walters, to Colombia early next week to evaluate the situation.
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