The Latin America question

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By Lourdes Heredia BBC News, Mexico City On his three-day visit to Colombia and Mexico, Republican presidential hopeful John McCain wanted to show he cares about the issues important to Latin Americans: security, immigration, and trade.

Both men are bidding to win over Hispanic voters

He was also aiming to display his foreign policy credentials, with his advisers taking pains to point out that his rival in November's election, Democratic senator Barack Obama, had never been to Latin America.

"Senator Obama has never set foot in the region," said Otto Reich, a former assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere who is now a McCain campaign adviser.

But how does Mr McCain's approach to Latin America differ from Mr Obama's?

The main difference is their stance on free trade agreements.

Drugs fight

Visiting Colombia, Mr McCain expressed his complete support for the agreement between the US and Colombia, which is currently stalled in the US Congress.

Similarly in Mexico, Mr McCain emphasised his backing for the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), even though this has been controversial in some key battleground states that could help decide the presidential election.

The senator from Arizona has acknowledged that he still has work to do to convince voters that free trade will benefit them, not just cost more jobs. He has pledged to improve unemployment insurance, re-training and education programmes for unemployed workers if elected.

Mr Obama has said he will not support any free trade agreement that does not address labour and environmental concerns. He has also suggested renegotiating Nafta, a position that he softened after effectively securing his party's nomination.

But aside from trade, there are few differences between the two men on issues affecting Latin America.

Mr McCain took time to visit Mexico's most revered Catholic site

Both support Plan Colombia - under which the US has so far spent some $5bn to help Colombia fight drug trafficking, train the Colombian army to battle insurgents and improve the institutions of government.

Regardless of who wins the White House in November, US aid to Colombia to fight drug production will continue.

Both also support the Merida Initiative, a new package passed by Congress to help stem drug violence in Mexico and Central America.

"If we read with a magnifying glass the plans they have on Latin America, beyond the rhetoric, the great difference is free trade, but not much more. It's all about perceptions," said Roderic Ai Camp, an expert on Mexico's security issues at Claremont McKenna College in California.

'Fresher figure'

Even if Latin Americans do not know Mr Obama or his policy, said Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, the perception is that he would be a departure from the tone and style of the Bush administration, which has been very unpopular in much of the region.

"Even though Mr McCain enjoys a better image than President Bush in Latin America, (Mr) Obama has an edge simply because he is the fresher figure," said Mr Shifter.

Mr Obama is expected to undertake some foreign trips in the coming weeks

On Cuba, Mr Obama's views appear to echo those of the younger generation of Cuban exiles and Cuban-Americans who want restrictions on travel and remittances to the island eased.

Mr McCain has said he would keep the strict US economic embargo on Cuba.

Mr Obama has signalled that, under the right conditions, he would be willing to engage in direct diplomacy with the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, while Mr McCain has used harsher rhetoric.

Nevertheless, all the experts consulted by the BBC agreed that, in the short term, the domestic issues will be a higher priority.

“Let's not forget that the relations with Latin America will be seen through the American lenses, that means they will only be important if there is something affecting the US," said Crescencio Arcs, former US ambassador to Honduras.

"To be frank, whoever wins will have to concentrate on improving the economy and solving the war in Iraq" said Bryan Dyson, the former CEO of Coca-Cola, in a recent forum about Mexico.

"Then, much later, they will be able to think about Latin America.”

Immigration is also a key element in the relations between the US and the region.

Mr McCain co-sponsored Senate legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to stay in the United States, after paying fines and back taxes - measures that failed to pass the US Congress last year.

In a Republican primary debate in Los Angeles, Mr McCain said he would no longer vote for his own immigration reform bill.

During his trip to Latin America he insisted that he wanted to see immigrants treated humanely, while also securing the border.

Mr Obama says that he will support "comprehensive immigration reform" that includes a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.

Both candidates recognise that position on immigration will likely be of greater importance to Latino voters than their policies toward Latin America.