Brisbane 15 March 2007 Local Time

George Bush is on a visit to a number of countries in Central and South America. The variation of his reception by leaders and the citizens of the places he has been to reveals that there is a great amount of public relations work to be done.

President Bush is not a bad leader. He wants to secure a good future for his people and those of many parts of the world. Unfortunately, war is never popular. Similarly, economic domination is not popular with activists who seek to create the impression that the United States is seeking to control the entire world in military and economic terms.

President Bush has been welcomed in Columbia and treated unkindly in some of the other countries included in his itinerary. Why? Is it the effect of the U.S. war on drugs and crime or is it that some people in the world do not like success?  The United States is a world leader because the American people do many things exceptionally well.

The United States of America does a huge amount of good around the world. Most of this humanitarian effort is constant and largely unnoticed by the press .

One result is that the apparent ill will gains more attention that the positive initiatives that benefit many people around the world.

The President's public relations people could use the conflicting treatment of George Bush in South America as a sign that they have a lot of work to do. They need to promote the good work that is done on behalf of the people of the Untied States.

There are numerous examples of U.S. development and humanitarian aid around the world. Mr Bush's staff need to communicate a positive message to the activists who take over the spotlight when President Bush tours their region.