From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

George Bush wants to mend fences with Latin America, but is it too little, too late?

I'm Mark Cooper, sitting in for Warren Olney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International, a daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

When George Bush came into office six years ago, he vowed the Southern Hemisphere would be his top foreign policy priority.

But that was before September 11th and before Iraq.

Now he wants to woo back Latin America.

Today, on To the Point, can Bush overcome his widespread unpopularity, and can he offset the

growing influence of regional leftists like Venezuela's Hugo Chavez?

On reporter's notebook later on, will Bush grant Lewis Libby a pardon?

First, here's the news.

Support for To the Point comes from subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica and from the Public Radio

International Program Fund, whose contributors include the Ford Foundation and the John

D. and Catherine T. McArthur Foundation.

I'm Mark Cooper, sitting in for Warren Olney, back with To the Point from PRI. President Bush is

visiting Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico this week. He carries with him a political

and economic agenda. But after keeping Latin American issues on the back burner for six years, can he effectively compete with rising radical leaders like Hugo Chavez?

On reporter's notebook later on, will Scooter Libby get a pardon?

First, this news update.

House Democrats today have unveiled a plan that would put direct binding

pressure on the White House to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of this year or at the latest

by August 2008. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi presented her proposal this morning at a Capitol Hill

press conference.

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