Political tensions were present at a summit of European and Latin American leaders in Peru, potentially hindering their shared goals of combating poverty and global warming. Evo Morales, the President of Bolivia, clashed with his counterparts over free trade leading up to the meeting, while Hugo Chavez of Venezuela escalated tensions with Colombia. Supporters of free trade, such as Peru, grew impatient with skeptics like Morales, who accused Peru and Colombia of excluding Bolivia from discussions with the European Union. Peruvian President Alan Garcia urged progress despite differing speeds, emphasizing the importance of moving forward. Morales, a former coca grower, expressed concerns that free trade agreements could harm small farmers in his country. He informed journalists in Lima that they desired trade, but only if it was fair. The EU is currently engaged in discussions with Mercosur, which is led by Brazil and Argentina, as well as with Central American nations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was among the first leaders to attend the summit, stated that the EU was willing to facilitate trade. Despite a recent dispute with Chavez, who accused her of being a political heir to Adolf Hitler, Merkel did not mention the incident. Chavez often insults conservative leaders, particularly U.S. President George W. Bush. During a summit in Chile last year, Spain's king told Chavez to be quiet. Chavez is currently involved in a disagreement with Colombia that has raised concerns about potential war in the Andean region. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has accused Chavez of supporting the FARC guerrillas, leading Chavez to consider reviewing diplomatic relations with Bogota before heading to Lima. These conflicts may be a significant focus at the upcoming gathering of leaders from Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Additionally, they may struggle to find agreement on combating cocaine trafficking and using food crops for renewable biofuels instead of fossil fuels. Brazil supports environmentally friendly fuels, but some less wealthy countries believe they contribute to higher food prices. Despite this, poorer nations are becoming more concerned about climate change and believe wealthier countries should reduce their carbon emissions. Peru recently established an environment ministry to address the effects of global warming, particularly the melting of its Andean glaciers. Delegates from Peru will advocate for stronger actions to combat climate change, as many governments have only paid lip service to addressing this serious threat. We are encouraging those governments to take tangible steps," stated Kim Howells, a junior minister in the British Foreign Office, in an interview with Reuters.