LatinNews Daily - 19 May 2011

Panama: On 6 May US President George W Bush met his Panamanian counterpart Martí­n Torrijos in Washington and said he would do his best to get Congress to approve the pending free trade agreement with Panama. As well as discussing the trade pact, Bush and Torrijos also covered matters related to expanding the Panama Canal, security and the regional fight against drug trafficking and organized crime. Bush also took advantage of the meeting with Torrijos to urge the US Congress to approve the Mérida Initiative, a US$1.4bn proposal aimed at helping Mexico and Central America combat the drug trade and organised crime.