If he is for real, recently elected Peruvian President Alan Garcia may turn out to be a force for progress in Latin America. In Washington yesterday, Garcia lobbied for passage of a free-trade agreement between Peru and the United States, though he had seemed to flirt with protectionism during his presidential campaign. “We see the free-trade agreement as one of the tools in our fight against poverty,” Garcia said. He also warned that Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez is fueling a “Cold War” against the U.S. in Latin America and needs to be combated. Well, yes. Good to see another regional leader willing to say that.