U.S.,Venezuela Star at Americas Summit While Protesters Plan

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U.S., Venezuela Star at Americas Summit While Protesters Plan Massive March

The presidents of the United States and Venezuela played starring roles in the 34-nation Summit of the Americas, arguing over the merits of free trade while hundreds of leftist activists arrived for a massive march early Friday.
Hundreds of protesters, including soccer great Maradona and Bolivian presidential hopeful Evo Morales, were expected to board a train late Thursday to join the thousands who have already converged on this coastal resort.

Demonstrators included hundreds of Cubans who made the trip after their president, Fidel Castro, was snubbed by the summit's organizers, the Organization of American States. As officials prepared to hold the inauguration ceremony Friday afternoon, more than 8,000 security forces were dispatched to maintain order. Security included navy ships sailing along the coastline and helicopters clattering overhead. Most of the summit hotels were in a section of the city that has been cleared of pedestrians and traffic and surrounded by guards.

Roughly 10,000 demonstrators planned to march some 30 blocks to a stadium where Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez planned to give a speech. He's been U.S. President George W. Bush's most vocal critic at the 34-nation summit.
The march's route wasn't expected to bring the protesters near the summit site.
While the summit's leaders agreed ahead of time to focus the two-day meeting on creating jobs and reducing poverty, in recent days their attention has shifted to the Free Trade Area of the Americas, or FTAA, a deal proposed by Washington that would break down trade barriers from Alaska to the tip of South America.

Jose Miguel Insulza, secretary-general of the Organization of American States, said he was disappointed by attention to the free trade deal. "This is not a summit about the FTAA," a frustrated Insulza told reporters. But Bush seems to be winning over supporters for the FTAA. A high-ranking Brazilian official, who said he wasn't authorized to give his name, told reporters that 28 of the 34 countries participating in the summit had agreed to relaunch trade talks as early as April.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBKUKGRLFE.html

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Helicopters, warships, 8000 security forces..to protect one idiot.

Whatever happened to the "Good Neighbor Policy"?