ANDEAN NATIONS TALK TRADE

CARTAGENA, Colombia (AP) -- Andean presidents and ministers on Wednesday
looked to bolster their leverage at this weekend's Summit of the Americas,
proposing that the U.S. government to expand trade benefits in return for
their efforts to curb the region's drug trade.

Presidents Andres Pastrana of Colombia, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Hugo
Banzer of Bolivia, Gustavo Noboa of Ecuador, and Peru's Foreign Minister,
Javier Perez de Cuellar, joined forces ahead of the hemisphere-wide summit
beginning Friday in Quebec.

"Each Andean country has very little weight in the hemisphere," said Martha
Lucia Ramirez, Colombia's foreign minister. "But the five nations together
become a more determined actor in the result and orientation of these
negotiations."

The five leaders drafted a letter that will be delivered to President Bush
at this weekend, asking for the United States to renew and expand the 1991
Andean Trade Preferences Act.

The legislation, which expires in December, is intended to strengthen legal
alternatives to drug production in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. The
region produces almost all the world's cocaine and a significant chunk of
the heroin sold on U.S. streets.

The measure gives duty-free status to Andean exports to the United States
such as flowers, oil, minerals, coffee and bananas. The countries meeting
in Cartagena want the coverage expanded to other products including
textiles, leather products, and tuna.

During the three-day summit to be attended by Bush in Quebec City, 34
nations from South America to Canada will debate a proposed hemisphere-wide
free trade zone. Bush on Tuesday endorsed completing negotiations on the
Free Trade Area of the Americas by 2005.

The United States currently has free-trade agreements with Canada and
Mexico. The new proposal would, in effect, expand the existing North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to add the nations of Central and
South America.

Andean leaders meeting in the Caribbean seaport Cartagena were also
planning a joint lobbying push for continued and expanded U.S. tariff
exemptions under the 1991 Andean Trade Preferences Act, also known as ATPA.

The legislation, which expires in December, is intended to strengthen legal
alternatives to drug production in the Andes. The region produces almost
all the world's cocaine and a significant chunk of the heroin sold on U.S.
streets.

The ATPA gives U.S. duty-free status to Andean exports such as flowers,
oil, minerals, coffee and bananas. Colombia wants the coverage expanded to
textiles, leather products and tuna. Ramirez said she hopes ATPA is
extended before the end of the summer.

Although Bush has said he supports extending ATPA, it could be a tough sell
in Congress given the economic slowdown in the United States.

U.S. exports to the qualifying Andean nations have increased 65 percent
since ATPA was enacted, but U.S. imports from the countries have doubled,
according to Colombian government figures. Meanwhile, the Andean drug trade
continued to flourish.

In addition to tariff exemptions, Washington is providing Colombia with
$1.3 billion in military and economic aid to fight drugs. The Bush
Administration has proposed expanding that commitment with $731 million in
additional anti-drug aid for the entire Andean region, Brazil and Panama.