The president will take the message to the U.N. Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey, Mexico, where he will arrive Thursday night. He also will meet Andean leaders in Peru and Central American leaders in El Salvador before returning to Washington Sunday. During his talks with world leaders at the conference, Bush will promote his initiative to help poor nations that respect human rights, root out corruption, open their markets, and have education and health care systems. "I'm going to be tough about it," Bush told a group of regional reporters Tuesday in a preview of his trip. "I'm not interested in funding corruption."
Bush separately had some tough talk about Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez. The image of the world's No. 4 oil exporter has taken a beating in recent months as opponents of the maverick left-wing president have stepped up protests against his three-year rule, raising fears that political confrontation may worsen and even turn to violence. "We are concerned about Venezuela," Bush said, citing the long-term U.S. relationship with the country, particularly in the oil business. "We are concerned any time there is unrest in our neighborhood. We are watching the situation carefully. This man was elected by the people. We respect democracy in our country, and we hope he respects the democratic institutions within his country," the president said.
Last week, when Bush announced an aid initiative for developing nations, one that Congress must approve, it was valued at $5 billion over three years. The White House announced Tuesday it was actually worth $10 billion over three years and cited "internal confusion" over the numbers as the reason for the error. It is to be $1.67 billion in 2004, about $3.33 billion in 2005, and $5 billion in 2006 and each year thereafter. "Countries that practice good habits will get money," Bush said.***