Bush to visit Latin America in November: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush, who many Latin Americans criticize for being out of touch with the region's woes, will attend in November a summit of the hemisphere's leaders in Argentina before going to Brazil and Panama."

That he's be meeting with Kirchner (Argentina) and Lula (Brazil) indicates to me that they're concerned with, and take seriously, the independent/leftist turn the region is taking.