Latin American

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent outreach to leftist Latin American leaders was a wise move at a time many of those political leaders are increasingly resisting Washington's regional policy goals. Ms. Rice's latest remarks indicating the Bush administration's willingness to work with newly elected, left-leaning presidents signals Washington's acceptance of Latin America's changing political dynamics. It also suggests awareness by the administration, after several early stumbles, that trying to isolate popular leaders with political views it opposes is more likely to further weaken U.S. credibility in the region.

MEXICO CITY -- "The wall" does not yet exist, and it might never be built, but already its 700 miles of fencing and electric sensors loom like a new Berlin Wall in the Latin American imagination. The proposed barrier along the Mexican border was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives in December and is scheduled to be debated by the Senate next month. In Spanish, they call it el muro. El muro has been a focus of news for weeks not only in countries such as Mexico and El Salvador that are increasingly dependent on the dollars migrants send home, but also in faraway Argentina and Chile.

AFTER YEARS of neglecting Latin America and the Caribbean, the Bush administration has finally turned its attention to that part of the world. The move is both timely and welcome, given recent political upheavals in the region, but there are signs that the renewed diplomacy is likely to be strained. This week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice got a cool reception from members of the Organization of American States (OAS) when she called for a permanent regional oversight committee to monitor Western Hemisphere countries and ensure they are upholding democratic practices.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - President Bush, concentrating yesterday on the fragility of democracies close to home, warned the Organization of American States of menaces lurking over Latin American and Caribbean nations and emphasized the economic and political dividends of free trade. But a U.S. campaign to strengthen the OAS and help it fortify Latin American democracies - and prevent some from collapsing - appeared headed for a setback during the group's conference here. The U.S. wants to create an early-warning mechanism that would help the OAS intervene during a crisis.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Frustrated by a lack of economic progress under the democratic regimes that rule them, a majority of Latin Americans would support an authoritarian government if it bettered their lives, according to a United Nations report released today. The study by the U.N. Development Program also found that most government leaders in the region feel they are slowly losing the ability to shape policy in their countries because of the increasing influence of the United States and international lending institutions.

A Baltimore-based foundation has won one of the largest grants in its history to create job training programs for teen-agers and young adults in Latin America and the Caribbean. The International Youth Foundation, which sponsors children's programs worldwide, received $10 million from the grant-making arm of an international bank to teach computer and work skills to people between the ages of 16 and 29 in the mostly poor countries. "We're trying to forge something new ... to enhance employment opportunities for disadvantaged youth who haven't had a chance to enter into the new economy," said Eliana Vera, director of the employment program.

NEW YORK -- Mariano Rivera has a way with numbers, building up some and shrinking others. In the process, he continues to enhance his reputation as baseball's most dominant closer while mowing down opponents.The New York Yankees' right-hander had tossed 11 scoreless innings in the postseason heading into Game 4 of the World Series, increasing his streak to 24 1/3 over 17 outings. The last run he allowed in the playoffs came in Game 4 of the 1997 Division Series against Cleveland.Rivera's career ERA in the postseason had been whittled to 0.39 before last night, the lowest among pitchers with 30 or more innings.

NEW YORK -- Revlon Inc., whose namesake brand is the biggest seller in U.S. discount stores and drugstores, said yesterday that it is in talks to sell its Latin American and professional brands for more than $500 million after billionaire financier Ronald Perelman failed to find a buyer for the entire company.Revlon stock fell $6.25, or 34 percent, to $12 in trading of 3.61 million shares, more than 16 times the three-month daily average.Perelman is focusing on those brands that generate 80 percent of sales, including Revlon, Almay and Ultima II cosmetics.

The recording studio continues to be a hospitable setting for the talents of Gisele Ben-Dor, whose six-year stint at the helm of the Annapolis Symphony ended in spring 1997.Ben-Dor, who maintains a bi-coastal career with the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Symphony and the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, began her recording career auspiciously in 1995 with a well-received anthology devoted to the music of Hungarian Bela Bartok issued on the Centaur label.Her second disc, also released in 1995, was devoted to the works of Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera.

WASHINGTON -- For years, the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Ga., which is meant to teach combat skills to Latin American soldiers, has come under political attack.Rep. Cynthia A. McKinney, a Georgia Democrat, has gone so far as to call it the "School of Assassins" because of human rights abuses she says were committed by some of its graduates.But the school's federal funding has never been in jeopardy -- until now.Late Thursday, the House cut funding that would have paid for training the soldiers from South America, Central America and the Caribbean.