Most Workers to Return Home, U.S. Leader Asserts at Summit

By Mike Allen and Kevin Sullivan
Washington Post Staff Writers

MONTERREY, Mexico, Jan. 12 -- President Bush asserted Monday that most "temporary workers" would eventually have to leave the United States under a proposed immigration law that could legalize millions of undocumented workers. The plan received an important endorsement from President Vicente Fox of Mexico at a hemispheric summit here.

The two-day Summit of the Americas opened with Fox strongly backing, for the first time, the plan announced by Bush last week that would make temporary legalization available to an estimated 8 million undocumented immigrants if they are employed in the United States. Fox also praised the capture of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein as a "very important accomplishment," and Bush invited Fox to his Texas ranch as part of an effort by the two leaders to revive a partnership that broke off with the war on terrorism and Fox's refusal to back the war in Iraq.

Bush was more frank than before about the intent of his immigration plan, saying he "expects that most temporary workers will eventually return permanently to their home countries" after their work period expires. Bush has left the proposed lifespan of such work visas up to Congress, but said they should initially last three years, plus at least one renewal.

He also dismissed criticism that the plan was an election-year ploy and said a temporary-worker system would benefit the United States economically because of the immigrants who "fill jobs that others won't take, on the one hand, and also to make a living to put -- to get money and to send money back to their families."

Despite a warm welcome from Fox in Mexico's wealthiest and most modern city, Bush was on the defensive against a more assertive generation of Latin American leaders who have challenged his efforts to dictate initiatives on security, corruption and trade. Critics in Latin America have said that free trade and open market policies supported by the U.S. government -- the so-called Washington consensus -- had failed to lift Latin America out of poverty, while creating deep distrust and disillusionment with Washington and Bush.

Chilean President Ricardo Lagos said in an interview that his country's economic success in the past 10 years was "because of social policies, not because of the Washington consensus."

Lagos said open markets create opportunities, but "to have growth alone is not going to solve real problems" of poverty. Yet he praised Bush for "being able to listen to the new governments that are emerging" in Latin America.

"It's not easy to get acquainted with some quote-unquote leftist governments," he said. Still, Lagos said he also perceived anti-Bush sentiment while meeting with leaders of Caribbean nations Monday morning "who thanked me" for his strong stand against Bush on the Iraq war.

Lagos and Bush held a private session on Monday afternoon. Speaking briefly to photographers afterward, Bush said he was "honored to be here with el presidente de Chile."

The most vociferous critic was Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who warned U.S. officials several times over the weekend not to "stick their noses" in his nation's affairs. He called national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, who is among Bush's closest confidants, "illiterate."

Many other officials from Central America and South America were more diplomatic yet still critical of the United States. "Bush is not talking to Latin America, he is talking to Latinos in America," said one South American diplomat, who said Bush was putting on a "show" designed to appeal to Hispanic voters during his reelection race.

But Bush's aides focused on Fox's support and the friendship between the presidents, after expressing disappointment last week at Fox's tepid initial reaction to Bush's immigration proposal. Welcoming the former Texas governor to this city about 100 miles south of the Rio Grande, Fox said at a joint news conference that he hoped for "a happy ending through the political process that should be followed within the United States, so that it can be approved in the Congress of the United States."

The embrace is politically crucial to both leaders, because Fox can claim that his patience with Bush has paid dividends, while Bush has gained a high-profile lobbyist for a plan that is a low priority for the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill. Bush announced the plan at the start of his reelection year as part of an administration-wide effort to cultivate Hispanic voters.

"Yes, there's politics involved," Bush said in response to a question from a Mexican reporter. "There will be politics probably involved in whether or not it passes Congress. But the reason I proposed the initiative is because it is the right thing for America to do."

The mistrust ran both ways between the leaders, who were meeting for the 10th time and for the fourth time in Mexico, after Fox used Mexico's seat on the U.N. Security Council to oppose the invasion of Iraq. Bush said Fox "is a good enough friend for him to be able to express his opinion to me without the loss of friendship. And he didn't agree with the decision I made."

"The decision I made was the right one for America, and history will prove it's the right one for the world," Bush said with a defiant tone. "And we will stay the course until the job is done."

In what both sides hoped would be a signal that they had put the Iraq disagreement behind them, Bush announced that Fox would visit his Texas ranch on March 5-6.

Bush's public embrace of Fox was seen by analysts here as a political boost for Fox at a time when his presidency is largely stalled.

During Fox's opening statement at the news conference, he spoke cautiously about the immigration plan, saying it should be "discussed, analyzed" and made his endorsement explicit only while answering the first question. The day before, Fox had told NBC News that he considered Bush's plan "part of the enchilada" and that he would "work for more of it -- more enchilada."

At the news conference, Fox called the plan "a very important step forward for many Mexican workers in the United States," in part because he said they "can see that their labor rights and their human rights are completely respected there."

In the evening, Bush announced in opening remarks at the 34-nation summit that he had signed a proclamation denying entry to public officials guilty of corruption, and urged other nations to take similar action.

"We must also chart a clear course toward a vibrant free market that will help lift people out of poverty and create a healthy middle class," Bush said. "We have great opportunities to work together to improve the quality of life for all the people of this hemisphere."

The unusually polarized summit includes the leaders of every country in the hemisphere except Cuba, and Bush urged the members of the Organization of American States to press for democracy there. "Dictatorship has no place in the Americas," he said.

Bush met for about half an hour with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, a vocal critic of some U.S. policies. The Brazilian government has taken a leading role in opposing U.S. agricultural subsidies. The countries also face a controversy over a Brazilian judge's decision to order the fingerprinting and photographing of U.S. citizens entering the country in retaliation for Brazil's inclusion in similar anti-terrorism measures at U.S. airports.

Bush, who flew into Monterrey from his ranch, is to meet Tuesday with the leaders of Argentina, Bolivia and Canada, before returning to Washington.

Rodolfo H. Gil, Argentina's ambassador to the Organization of American States, said Bush had a "very favorable record" in Latin America and had recently shown an "undeniable attitude of cooperation and solidarity" with Argentina in its dealings with the International Monetary Fund. But Gil said he also saw "profound, profound frustration" with the Bush administration throughout Latin America.

Staff writer Marcela Sanchez contributed to this report.

© 2004