Visiting Fellow Roger Noriega

Former Vice President Al Gore's abrupt cancellation of his scheduled appearance before Poder Magazine's "Green Forum," held in Miami this past weekend, was a sad setback for the environmental cause in the Americas and an unpardonable insult to Colombia.

After hearing one side of the story about corruption charges against the administration of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, Gore actually tried to have Uribe disinvited to the Miami forum. Gore then canceled his appearance rather than share the stage with one of the region's leading statesmen and one of our staunchest allies.

Just as the environmental movement seeks to go mainstream politically, the former vice president's discourteous decision shows that when asked to balance his personal ambition with the fate of Mother Earth, saving the world takes a back seat.

Colombia's president would be the first person to admit that the corruption scandal must be clarified and any guilty party must be held fully accountable. Uribe's record of rescuing the rule of law along with the rights and security of Colombia's citizens speaks for itself. Under his singular leadership, Colombia has more than pulled its weight in the global struggle against the scourge of illegal drugs from the Andes to Afghanistan.

We would have thought that Uribe's monumental contributions as a faithful U.S. ally might have earned this man the benefit of the doubt or, at the very least, a chance to defend his good name in a private conversation with a prominent U.S. political leader. Colombia's friendship alone should have spared its president the public humiliation meted out so casually by Gore. Together, Uribe and Gore would make a persuasive team for a good cause.

But that opportunity for the environment was lost when Gore, who some say is harboring political ambitions, did some quick political calculations and scuttled a good cause and a promising partnership. It is ironic that the Clinton-Gore administration helped launch Plan Colombia, which has reaped great dividends for Colombia and for U.S. security.

But the vice president was quick to forget everything we have learned about our friend, President Uribe, despite his years of hard work and genuine sacrifice. The vice president and other Democratic leaders are the first to lecture the Bush administration about talking to America's enemies as if there were no other way to measure U.S. diplomacy. But when it comes to talking to a friend, Gore made a harsh snap judgment with little consideration of the damage done to an ally or the cause for which Gore has become a leading spokesman.

We hope his decision will not lead others in his party to "pile on" Colombia. Democratic leaders in Congress appear to be giving Colombia's pending "free trade agreement" tough but fair scrutiny. These leaders have their own legitimate concerns for protecting labor rights and the environment.

They are working in good faith to find a way to address these interests while approving a trade accord that is the natural cap to our bipartisan support for Colombia. Both sides are ready to balance their own priorities for the greater good.

Fortunately, the people at Miami's Green Forum, many of whom traveled thousands of miles to attend, carried on with a fruitful exchange of ideas among like-minded people committed to a cause greater than themselves. President Uribe earned his place at that table. If Gore genuinely had much to add to that discussion he would have found a way to be there too.

Roger F. Noriega is a visiting fellow at AEI and works for Tew Cardenas, LLP, a Miami-based law firm with a public policy advocacy office in Washington, DC. Alberto Cardenas is a member of Tew Cardenas, LLP.