Colombia Applies For Credit

Colombia has applied to the International Monetary Fund for a 10.4 billion dollar line of credit.Colombian central bank head Jose Dario Uribe said the line is for emergency use only.IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn described Colombia as having strong economic fundamentals.It is the kind of nation the IMF would relax loan conditions for.Indeed,the credit line Colombia applied for has no conditions attached at all.It would only be used in the event the financial crisis deepens.The IMF promotes international monetary cooperation,currency stabilization and international trade.It is an autonomous UN agency based in Washington,D.C.

Two Worlds

According to Jim Owens,CEO of Caterpillar(CAT),we're seeing a bifurcated world.While Europe and Japan are slowing markedly,the emerging markets are doing extremely well.Their explosive demand continues.We have long been a champion of global engagement.It's important to continue with trade liberalization,opening markets to American exports.We export a lot of mining and construction equipment to Colombia.We really need to cultivate trade relationships.We are a large net exporter to China.Since the North American Free Trade Agreement,real Gross Domestic Product growth has accelerated in all three signatories-the U.S.,Canada and Mexico-Mr.Owens pointed out.

Nature Note:Scarlet Tanager

I hadn't been in the mountains for a few years;I've just driven by.Finally I set a morning aside to go back up.A scarlet tanager greeted me there,a male with subtropical red plumage and a conversational song.He breeds from Southeast Canada to the East-Central U.S.,in mature pine and oak forests.This bird had spent the winter from Colombia to Bolivia.He's another international bird,a binder of nations to each other,a healer of many hearts.