COLOMBIA LEADER TRIES TO REASSURE OTHERS AT SUMMIT

South American leaders opened their first regional summit Thursday in Brazil, amid concerns of a possible spillover from Colombia's anti-drug offensive and of U.S. military involvement in the fight.

Colombian President Andres Pastrana quickly reassured the 11 other leaders that his anti-drug campaign -- known as Plan Colombia -- will not lead to American military intervention. The two-day summit was convened by Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso in Brasilia to discuss integrating the region's economies, strengthening its democratic institutions and improving education and technology.

But the consequences of Colombia's drug war was becoming a major focus of the meeting, which got under way one day after President Clinton visited Colombia to lend support and release $1.3 billion in military aid to the counternarcotics program.