United States President George W. Bush urged U.S. Congress and
President-elect Barack Obama “not to turn its back” on Colombian
President Álvaro Uribe.
“Congress and our government must never turn its back on such a friend
as Uribe,” Bush said during the APEC summit in the Peruvian capital Lima.
The U.S. President warned the U.S. should not be protectionist in its recovery from the current economic crisis.
Bush said when he took office, the United States had free trade
agreements in effect with only three countries but now has free trade
agreements in force with 14 nations. It is “extremely disappointing”
that Congress just adjourned without passing three pending deals with
Colombia, South Korea and Panama, Bush said to hearty applause.