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Peru launches Ibero-American summit, Castro absent
( 2001-11-24 14:24 ) (7 )

More than 20 leaders from Latin America, Spain and Portugal gathered in Lima on Friday for a summit aimed at sparking growth in fragile economies and defining a united anti-terror front -- but Cuba's Fidel Castro stayed home to oversee recovery efforts after a hurricane.

Spain's King Juan Carlos was among the dignitaries who arrived early on Friday for the 11th annual Ibero-American Summit while Fernando de la Rua, president of crisis-wracked Argentina, was due later. De la Rua will be seeking summit support to build investor confidence in a massive debt swap vital to avert bankruptcy.

But Castro, 75, usually a star summit guest, sent a last-minute letter saying he would not be able to attend after a devastating hurricane, the worst in more than half a century, tore through the communist island this month.

It was his first time away from an Ibero-American summit of Latin American nations and their former colonial powers.

"The reason for President Fidel Castro's absence is the situation in Cuba after Hurricane Michelle and the intense recovery work which he is directing," Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told reporters in Lima.

Hurricane Michelle hit Cuba on Nov. 4, killing five people, flattening thousands of homes, and severely damaging crops.

Host President Alejandro Toledo is due to inaugurate the summit -- which he has promised will be different from previous meetings as leaders really "roll up their sleeves" and get down to work -- at 6:00 p.m. (2300 GMT).

After the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States and the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan to catch or kill Saudi-born Islamic militant Osama bin Laden, world security and the struggle against terror will be high on the summit agenda.

Peruvian Foreign Minister Diego Garcia Sayan has said he wants the presidents -- some of whom like Colombia's Andres Pastrana and Spain's Jose Maria Aznar are fighting violence in their own countries -- to take a very firm anti-terror stand.

ECONOMIC WOES VEX

This poor Andean nation has pulled out all the stops to guarantee safety at the summit, held at an upscale Lima hotel, with a police force of 22,000, some with riot-shields and sniffer dogs, as well as sharpshooters stationed on rooftops. With the leaders due to dine at a scenic seaside restaurant, several warships also stood sentinel off the coast.

A key topic in summit talks will be the regional struggle for economic growth against a backdrop of a vexing world slowdown and rampant poverty in parts of Latin America.

Argentina's effort to slash crippling interest rates on its $132 billion debt and stave off what would be the world's biggest debt default has many worried that disaster in Latin America's No. 3 economy could spill over and hurt them too.

Toledo, a 55-year-old economist elected on promises to curb poverty and create jobs, will use the summit to advance a pet cause -- that cash-strapped South American countries should cut military spending and to use the money on social programs.

"We come to this summit ... assured the results will strengthen our Ibero-American community," Spain's King Juan Carlos told reporters on his arrival. "Without a doubt it will be an opportunity to confirm the strong ties that bind us."

The king was due to have lunch with Aznar and Mexican President Vicente Fox, and the presidents of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela were due to hold talks later.

"I am absolutely convinced that this meeting is going to motivate hope and give a strong message for more security, stability and prosperity for all our people," Aznar said.

The summit assumes special importance for Peru and the government of Toledo, who took office in July, as it struggles to its feet after a year of corruption scandals and political turmoil that toppled ex-President Alberto Fujimori last year.