From the luxurious Hotel El Panamá to Host President Ricardo Arias' 23-room waterfront palace, the stage was set for this week's meeting of American Presidents in Panama City.
Firm acceptances were in from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela and most important, the U.S. Bolivia, El Salvador and Peru planned to send their presidents-elect. Indications were that at week's end, when the guests get together for the first formal meeting of the two-day conference, at least 17 chief executives and presidents-elect* would be on hand to lend glitter to the...