Divided leaders of Americas to hold summit, strains evident

[pinto]

Leaders from across the Americas will start a two-day summit in Mexico on Monday with US President George W. Bush fighting to push the US agenda against priorities of the region's new leaders.

The United States wants the talks to concentrate on fighting terrorism and corruption and building free trade.

But Latin America, where almost half the population lives in poverty, is much more worried about social problems. Unlike Bush, many of the region's leaders are not convinced free trade can be a quick enough fix for social ills.

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