President George W. Bush met with Mexican President Vicente Fox
and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin at the Special Summit of
the Americas on Monday and Tuesday in Monterrey, Mexico.

The three heads of state were joined by all
democratically-elected leaders of countries in the Western
Hemisphere to discuss economic issues and begin the policy-making
process to reduce poverty, spur economic growth and improve
education and public health in the region.

In the two-day summit, Bush began mending fences with both
Canada and Mexico by establishing new initiatives aimed at
fostering greater partnerships between the North American
states.

Bush took great steps to improve the declining relationship
between the United States and Mexico by proposing a plan to grant
temporary guest worker statutes to illegal immigrants working in
the United States. Under the White House’s plan, a three-year visa,
which may be renewed once, can be obtained by illegal immigrants to
grant temporary guest worker status in order to work in jobs that
cannot be filled by Americans. Individuals who hold guest worker
cards may apply for citizenship once the visa has expired, but will
not be given preference for citizenship.

Fox called for blanket amnesty for illegal immigrants working
within U.S. borders, but Bush refused, saying he did not want to
reward illegal behavior or encourage future immigration to the
United States by illegal means. Under the new plan, workers would
be able to travel back and forth between the United States and
their home countries freely, without the risk of being denied
re-entry.

Critics claim the plan is a political move by Bush to win the
Hispanic vote in the upcoming election, particularly since
Hispanics make up the largest minority group in the United States,
and Bush pushed immigration issues with Mexico to the back burner
since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

President Fox told Fox News he believes politics is about
timing, but he does not believe Bush’s plan is an effort to gain
votes from Hispanics.

At the summit, Bush said he believes the best way to reduce
pressure to immigrate to the United States illegally is to improve
economic opportunities at home. During the two-day meeting, Fox,
Martin and Bush discussed North American initiatives to take steps
beyond NAFTA to implement new energy and security policies, as well
as measures to keep the North American bloc competitive with Asia.
Bush said the United States has increased its foreign aid to
developing countries in the Western Hemisphere and he called for
free markets and the creation of a middle class in the region.

Martin stressed the need for social policies to help poor people
in the region, which was echoed by Fox, who said that 44 percent of
the population of Latin America and the Caribbean live below the
poverty line and more than 50 percent are unemployed. Fox said this
is very dangerous to growing democracies in the western hemisphere,
and Martin called on richer neighbors of poor countries and
intergovernmental organizations to help financially.

Also at the meeting, Bush announced that Canada will be eligible
to bid for reconstruction contracts in Iraq. In December 2003, the
White House received strong criticism for its statement that
countries that did not support the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq
should not be eligible for contracts. In Monterrey this week, Bush
said that Canada would be eligible to bid for reconstruction
contracts since Canada made a pledge toward Iraq’s reconstruction
at a donor’s conference held in Madrid, Spain, in October 2003.

Martin said Canada would bid approximately $4.5 billion on
reconstruction. U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld also said
three or four other countries who pledged support would be
eligible.