Chilean President Says Leftists No Threat

[Judi Lynn]

Chilean President Says Leftists No Threat

By EDUARDO GALLARDO
Associated Press writer

February 27, 2006, 10:41 PM EST


SANTIAGO, Chile -- Chilean President Ricardo Lagos said Monday that the wave of leftists rising to power across Latin America poses no threat to democracy and should not create tensions with the United States.

Lagos, whose six-year term ends on March 11, told The Associated Press in an interview that the leftist victories show that people are unhappy with the status quo and "are looking for more democracy rather than less."

Lagos will be succeeded by fellow socialist Michelle Bachelet, who becomes Chile's first woman president. He called her election proof "of a major cultural change in Chile."

Lagos said the rise of leftist governments in the region should not worry U.S. officials, citing the positive relations his government had with Washington.
(snip/...)

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-chile-president,0,4177547.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[Nutmegger]

1. This country has such of fear of anything "left". [nt]

[MrPrax]

3. and anything Arab and Godless and Canadian...n/t

[rpannier]

2. Oh...please...we all know

scrub only worries about legitimately elected leftist governments. But he's always out glad hadning faux elections like Egypt.

[Megahurtz]

4. I believe it.

The biggest threat is here instead.