WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush plan to travel to Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico next month.
The president will hold official meetings with the presidents of the countries -- including Ignacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Felipe Calderon of Mexico and Oscar Urribe of Colombia. The trip is scheduled for March 8 to March 14.
When Bush ran for president in 2000, his campaign touted his closeness to Mexico as governor of Texas and his ability to speak Spanish as qualifications for the job. But the number of countries with left wing -- and sometimes anti-American -- governments has grown, most recently with the election of Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega as president of Nicaragua.
The White House said Bush plans to emphasize the common quest for "freedom, prosperity, and social justice" in meetings with is counterparts.
