Sen. Reid meets Peruvian leader on trade

[Ron Burgundy]

AP - Incoming U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday he had fallen in love with Peru during a short visit, but made no pronouncements on a key issue facing the two nations, free trade.
LIMA, Peru - Incoming U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday he had fallen in love with Peru during a short visit, but made no pronouncements on a key issue facing the two nations, free trade.

In a meeting with the bipartisan senate delegation led by Reid, President Alan Garcia stressed Peru's desire for a free trade pact.

Republicans have largely supported the free trade deal signed last April as a step in advancing commerce within the Western Hemisphere, while Democrats have expressed reservations about its ratification over what they see as a lack of protection for Peruvian workers. The administration has completed similar agreements with several other Latin nations.

"I want to tell these senators that we indeed think of a free trade agreement as something to benefit all Peruvians, not only one group with economic means," Garcia said in a public meeting with the senators and his Cabinet. "We want small businesses to also benefit."

Garcia's comments did draw support from Republican Sen. Robert Bennett (news, bio, voting record) of Utah.

"We would like to do whatever we can to see that Peru, and all of Latin America, becomes a major trading partner with the United States," he said.

Reid didn't comment publicly on the plan, but he spoke glowingly of the Andean nation.

"After having spent three days in this wonderful country I leave Peru understanding the government of Peru better than I did when I came here," Reid told reporters.

"Having fallen in love with the people of Peru," Reid said he had experienced something he "thought would never occur traveling to another country.

"Being in the midst of the great Andes mountains has been a spiritual experience for me," he said, without elaborating or taking questions. "President Garcia, Viva el Peru!"

Peru was the last stop in a three-nation Andean tour by the senate delegation, which also included incoming Majority Whip Richard Durbin, D-Ill.; Ken Salazar, D-Colo.; Kent Conrad, D-N.D.; and Judd Gregg, R-N.H.

They met last week with Bolivia's leftist President Evo Morales and with Ecuador's leftist President-elect Rafael Correa to discuss international trade and anti-drug efforts, among other topics.