Clinton Invokes South America Liberator Bolivar

Standing near the burial place of the continent’s revered liberator, President Clinton on Monday told the people of this South American nation that they are “friends and partners” of the United States in a battle to fight drugs, expand social justice and protect the environment of the Western Hemisphere.

The comments, made as the two nations signed agreements on energy, drugs and the environment, underlined an emerging theme of Clinton’s first visit to South America: The United States wishes to emphasize common interests with the vast continent that long has viewed its northern neighbor with wariness, if not hostility.

“Our hemisphere is growing closer every day,” Clinton declared in an outdoor speech at Plaza El Panteon, a public square near the tomb of Simon Bolivar, the Venezuelan-born hero of the struggle to end Spain’s domination of South America. “We are joined in the search for social justice within market economies. And we are all working to leave our children a planet as healthy and bountiful as the one we inherited.”

In fact, sensitive disputes divide the two nations, which remain separated by a chasm caused by disparate levels of wealth and different political traditions. U.S. and Venezuelan officials have been unable to resolve technical questions related to U.S. investments here, and a spat over air service continues between the countries.

Venezuelan President Rafael Caldera alluded to such realities when Clinton arrived Sunday, noting that for some bilateral agreements, details “have yet to be finalized.”

On Monday, however, differences were downplayed as Clinton congratulated Venezuela on its growing economy, its booming energy sector and even its “world-class baseball players.”

Earlier, at a ceremony near the baroque Miraflores Palace, the seat of government, both presidents sat before an elegant table and watched as their subordinates signed the accords.

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Under a deal signed by U.S. Energy Secretary Federico Pena, the nations agreed on joint research, training and other cooperative efforts in an industry that increasingly links them. Venezuela has surpassed Saudi Arabia as the chief exporter of oil to the United States, and the South American nation has increasingly become a consumer of energy-related equipment and services from the U.S.

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright signed an anti-drug agreement intended to increase the exchange of intelligence information, enhance both countries’ criminal investigations with legal assistance and emphasize educational efforts to reduce the demand for illegal narcotics.

Although not a major center in the drug trade, Venezuela is viewed by many law enforcement officials as a popular site for laundering drug profits and for transportation of narcotics manufactured across its western border in Colombia.

“In both our countries, drugs poison our children and threaten our neighborhoods,” Clinton said. “Thank you, Venezuela, for the tough stand you are taking in this fight for our common future.”

Before his speech, Clinton laid a large wreath of white zinnias at the tomb of Bolivar, who he said embodied the common destiny of the Americas.

“He was the first to imagine a hemisphere of democracies, united by shared goals and common values. His example stirred the hearts of men and women throughout our region,” Clinton said.

Clinton spotlighted Venezuela as an example of a society with many cultures that live together harmoniously, an ideal he has emphasized this year with an initiative meant to spark dialogue among the many cultures in the U.S.

Christopher Columbus, he said in an allusion to the Columbus Day holiday, “joined the peoples of the Old World and the New World. Venezuela shows all of us how we can draw strength from the joining of different peoples.”

And without explicitly noting the history of sensitive relations between the United States and nations to the south that have often viewed it as a bully and imperialist, he described a future of equality and partnership.

“To the people of Venezuela, I want you to know the United States is determined to work with you in a spirit of respect and equality, as friends and partners, to claim the benefits and carry the burdens of this new era.”

Later Monday, Clinton arrived in Brasilia, the Brazilian capital, on the second leg of his weeklong South American trip.

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