WING PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ WAS ANGERED BY BILATERAL TRADE DEALS AGREED BETWEEN PERU, ECUADOR AND COLOMBIA AND THE UNITED STATES. PRESIDENT EVO MORALES OF BOLIVIA, A CLOSE ALLY OF CHAVEZ, HAS ALSO ASKED THE OTHER THREE ANDEAN COUNTRIES TO SCRAP THEIR DEALS WITH THE UNITED STATES. MORALES, A FORMER LEADER OF BOLIVIA'S COCA FARMERS, SAID ON FRIDAY THAT BOLIVIA WOULD REMAIN IN THE GROUP BUT HE CRITICISED COUNTRIES WHICH FAVOURED FREE TRADE WHICH HE SAID HURT SMALL FARMERS AND COMPANIES. THE DIFFERENCES WITHIN THE ANDEAN GROUP HAVE DEEPENED AN ALREADY BITTER DIVIDE BETWEEN LEFT-WINGERS CHAVEZ AND MORALES AND OTHER LATIN AMERICAN LEADERS LIKE TOLEDO. THE EU IS KEEN TO PRESS AHEAD WITH NEW TRADE AGREEMENTS, ONCE THE CURRENT WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION ROUND IS CONCLUDED, AFTER SEEING WASHINGTON RACK UP A STRING OF ACCORDS RECENTLY.
