ECUADOR, COLOMBIA, PERU AND BOLIVIA ON TUESDAY TRIED TO FIND COMMON GROUND AFTER VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ ABANDONED THEIR ANDEAN BLOC TO PROTEST FREE TRADE DEALS TWO MEMBERS SEALED WITH WASHINGTON, REUTERS REPORTED. PRESIDENTS OF THE FOUR NATIONS MET IN QUITO IN A SUMMIT THAT HAS HIGHLIGHTED DIVISIONS OVER U.S. TIES WITH LATIN AMERICA. CHAVEZ IS TRYING TO MOBILIZE OPPOSITION TO WASHINGTON'S FOREIGN AND TRADE PROPOSALS FOR THE REGION. ANDEAN LEADERS AGREED COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT ALVARO URIBE WILL ASK U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH DURING A VISIT TO WASHINGTON TO EXTEND REDUCED TRADE TARIFFS FOR ECUADOR AND BOLIVIA AS A REWARD FOR EFFORTS TO ERADICATE CROPS LIKE COCA USED TO MAKE ILLEGAL DRUGS. "ALL COUNTRIES WOULD BENEFIT FROM AN EXTENSION," COLOMBIAN TRADE MINISTER JORGE ALBERTO BOTERO SAID. "THE ANDEAN LEADERS ASKED THAT PRESIDENT URIBE TAKE A MESSAGE FROM THE ANDEAN COUNTRIES DURING HIS MEETING TOMORROW WITH PRESIDENT BUSH." ANDEAN LEADERS ALSO WANT TO HAMMER OUT A CONSENSUS ON HOW THE BLOC CAN APPROACH NEGOTIATIONS FOR A FLEDGLING FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION. TRADE AMONG THE FIVE ANDEAN NATIONS REACHED $9 BILLION LAST YEAR.
