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 News from Around the Americas | November 2006 
Latin Leaders Criticize U.S. Border Fence Plan
 Reuters
| | Back row (L-R) Cuba's Vice President Carlos Lage, Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorin, Argentina's Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana, front row L-R) Chile's President Michelle Bachelet and Portugal's President Anibal Cavaco Silva, chat during the Uruguay's XVI Ibero American Summit family photo in Montevideo, November 4, 2006. Latin American leaders questioned U.S and European immigration policies on Saturday and called for help in fighting poverty at home to cut down on illegal immigrants. (Andres Stapff/Reuters) |
Montevideo, Uruguay - Leaders from Latin America, Spain and Portugal on Sunday criticized U.S. plans to build a fence on the Mexican border to keep out illegal immigrants and urged Washington to reconsider.
Ending an Ibero-American summit focusing on migration, leaders from 24 countries issued a special statement expressing "deep concern" about the fence plan.
"The building of the wall doesn't help us go in the right direction," said Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.
President Bush signed legislation last month approving the construction of the 700-mile (1,100-km) fence -- a move that angered Mexico's government.
The border fence controversy has overshadowed the two-day summit's theme of looking at ways to control the number of Latin American migrants heading to the United States and Europe.
The summit leaders issued a statement urging the United States to reconsider building the fence, which they said "incites discrimination and xenophobia."
Salvadoran President Tony Saca said there are 2.5 million immigrants from his country in the United States and urged U.S. authorities to draw up a plan to help illegal immigrants already in the country to get their papers in order.
The Bush administration defends the fence as necessary to tighten control of the border to keep criminals and terrorists out.
But Mexico argues the fence will do little to ease illegal entries and likely will increase deaths along the border.
Thousands of poor Mexicans risk their lives each year sneaking across the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) border, much of it barren desert, seeking jobs.
Illegal Latin American and African immigration to Spain has also risen in recent years. |
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