By host Tom Ashbrook:

The White House hates to say it, but from Mexico to Argentina it’s the word: as George Bush flies south today to Latin America, the US president is, in effect, going nose-to-nose, mano a mano, with Venezuela’s fiery, oil-rich populist president, Hugo Chavez.

While Bush tours five Latin American nations, Chavez will mount his own tour. When Bush arrives in Montevideo, Uruguay, Chavez will be pumping up a big anti-Bush rally across the river in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the Argentine president at HIS side.

Bush is announcing hundreds of millions in aid. Chavez is ladling out billions.

This hour On Point: Bush and Chavez, fighting over the future of Latin America.

Guests:

Richard Lapper, Latin America Editor for the Financial Times

Peter Hakim, President of Inter-American Dialogue

Daniel Garcia-Pena, Professor of History at the National University of Colombia & former High Commissioner for Peace in Colombia

Jose Carenjo, Washington Correspondent for La Universal, a top Mexican daily newspaper.