After ignoring Latin America for years, President George W. Bush is desperately trying to improve hemispheric relations. But his just completed trip to Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico came too late. Years of neglect could not possibly be erased by a trip long in photo opportunities and short in substance.

In the capitals of Latin America, Bush’s visit has been interpreted as a reaction to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s increasing influence and popularity in the region. Certainly, Chávez seems to have seen it that way, as he consistently heckled Bush from afar.

Before flying to Brazil, Bush said that his administration doesn’t get enough credit for its Latin American policy. But, in 2007, the United States will provide economic assistance to Latin American and the Caribbean worth $1.8 billion, which is $200 million less than in 2006. Moreover, almost half of the total comes in the form of military aid, while $716 million will go to one country, Colombia.

In an effort to increase its low popularity in Latin America, the Bush administration recently announced an additional $75 million for education, and $385 million to help finance mortgages for the poor. Also, the US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort will make port calls in a number of Latin countries.

But these aid figures are absurdly low from a historical perspective. During the 1960’s – the years of President John F. Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress – annual aid to the region exceeded $10 billion in today’s dollars.

The first sign that the Bush administration didn’t take Latin America seriously came on January 1, 2002, when Luiz Inácio “Lula” Da Silva was sworn in as Brazil’s president. The occasion was solemn and charged with symbolism. After all, Lula was the first trade union leader ever elected to the presidency of a Latin American country.

Numerous heads of state and dignitaries from around the world attended the ceremony. But Bush was not among them; nor was Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, or any other prominent member of the US cabinet. The US delegation, instead, was headed by Robert Zoellick, the US Trade Representative, who, despite being a member of the cabinet, lacked the political stature for which the occasion called.

With his traditional sense of humor, Lula dismissed the slight. Other Latin American heads of state, however, were not so casual; in fact, they were deeply offended. According to them, this was a reminder that, with only a few exceptions – Cuba and possibly Mexico – Latin America was not a political priority for the US.

During the years that followed, the US administration’s attitude towards Hispanic undocumented immigrants alienated an increasing number of Latin American voters. As a result, in country after country they have elected presidents that are openly critical of the US and its policies.

Six years after Lula’s inauguration, and despite Bush’s trip, Latin American politicians continue to believe that their region is being neglected. It is true, they say, that the Bush administration launched the Free Trade Area of the Americas, but hemispheric free trade looks as distant today as ever. Moreover, the handful of free-trade agreements signed with individual countries, or groups of countries, are lopsided and overwhelmingly favor US interests.

In order to regain Latin America’s support – and to dent Chávez’s popularity – the Bush administration will need much more than a short trip. Passing a comprehensive Immigration Bill that normalizes the legal status of millions of Latin American workers in the US may help. Reducing US agricultural protectionism significantly would be an equally positive measure in drawing the poison out of diplomatic relations.