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By BARRY HATTON
Associated Press Writer
Latin American summit absences limit hopes71 days ago
(AP:ESTORIL, Portugal) Leaders from Latin America and Europe on Sunday opened a summit they hope will identify new paths to economic growth and quell some of their diplomatic disputes.
But the absence of eight leaders, including Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, from the 22-nation talks made any major breakthrough on Latin American tensions unlikely.
The annual Iberoamerican summit is due to study ways of harnessing new technology that might ease the South American economies' dependence on oil, farming and mining.
Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates said in a speech he wanted the summit to "expand our cooperation in innovation and the knowledge-based economy."
The three days of meetings between 19 Latin American countries and Spain, Portugal and Andorra also traditionally provide a forum to air diplomatic grievances.
Pressing issues include Sunday's disputed elections in Honduras and feuding between neighbors Colombia and Venezuela over Colombia's military agreement with the United States.
Officials arriving for the summit-opening dinner were either unavailable or declined to speak about any diplomatic overtures taking place behind the scenes, apart from to say those issues would be discussed.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe held closed-door talks with Spain's King Juan Carlos but refused to comment to reporters afterward.
The Venezuelan government has previously said it would support an effort by other South American nations to broker a solution.
Venezuela and Colombia have been feuding for months over an agreement between Bogota and Washington allowing the U.S. military to increase its presence at seven Colombian bases under a 10-year lease agreement.
Chavez, who has accused Washington of trying to undermine him, has warned that the United States and Colombia could attack Venezuela.
Chavez' regional allies Raul Castro of Cuba and Evo Morales of Bolivia also stayed away from the summit in Estoril, a Portuguese coastal resort 19 miles (30 kilometers) west of the capital Lisbon.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was due to arrive late Sunday in Portugal, has refused to recognize the Honduras ballot. His country has given sanctuary to Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, ousted in a coup last summer, at its embassy in Tegucigalpa.
Honduras was represented by Zelaya's foreign minister, Patricia Rodas.
Argentina and some other countries agree with Brazil but Costa Rica, for example, has promised to respect the outcome if the elections are clean. The United States has also indicated it will support the ballot if it is fair.
A joint Iberoamerican summit declaration was due on Tuesday, the final day.
Latin American economies are expected to contract by an average of 1.5-1.8 percent this year and rebound with growth of more than 4 percent next year, according to U.N. figures.
Angel Gurria, Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, said Latin America should "look for medium- and long-term growth less in its factories and more in its schools."
____
Associated Press writer Ciaran Giles in Estoril, Portugal contributed to this report.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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