Diverging political viewpoints cast a shadow over a meeting of European and Latin American leaders in Peru, potentially hindering their joint efforts to combat poverty and address global warming. Bolivian President Evo Morales, a leftist, clashed with fellow regional leaders over free trade ahead of the summit, while Venezuela's Hugo Chavez escalated tensions in a dispute with Colombia. Advocates of free trade, such as Peru, are becoming frustrated with skeptics like Morales, who accused Peru and Colombia of attempting to exclude Bolivia from discussions between the European Union and Andean nations. Peruvian President Alan Garcia urged for progress despite differences in opinion, emphasizing the need for countries to move forward together. Morales, a former coca farmer, is concerned that free trade agreements could negatively impact small-scale farmers in Bolivia. "We are interested in trade, but it must be fair," he informed the press in Lima. The EU is currently in talks with Mercosur, which is led by Brazil and Argentina, as well as with Central American countries. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was among the first leaders to attend the summit, stated after meeting with Garcia that the EU is open to making trade easier. Merkel did not address the recent conflict with Chavez, who accused her of being a political follower of Adolf Hitler for suggesting he had harmed relations between Europe and Latin America. Chavez is known for frequently insulting conservative leaders, particularly U.S. President George W. Bush. At a summit in Chile last year, Spain's king told him to be quiet. Chavez is currently involved in a dispute with Colombia that has raised concerns of war in the Andean region. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe accuses him of supporting the FARC guerrillas, and Chavez mentioned that he was considering reviewing diplomatic ties with Bogota before leaving for Lima. These conflicts may be a major focus at the upcoming gathering of leaders from Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Additionally, they may struggle to find agreement on how to combat cocaine trafficking and the use of food crops for renewable biofuels instead of fossil fuels. Brazil supports environmentally friendly fuels, but some developing countries believe they contribute to higher food prices. Despite this, poorer nations are becoming more concerned about climate change and are urging wealthier countries to reduce carbon emissions. Peru established an environment ministry to address the effects of global warming, particularly the melting Andean glaciers. Delegates from Peru will advocate for stronger actions to combat climate change, criticizing governments that only pay lip service to the issue. British junior Foreign Office minister Kim Howells told Reuters that they want to encourage those governments to implement tangible measures.