Bush has just arrived to Argentina to take part of the Americas Summit. I am sure you will be hearing of this all over the news, so I decided to write about what you wont probably hear: the Security for the Summit, and the Peoples Summit.
The Summit’s Security
Under the title “Summit of The Americas: Planes Under The Controls Of The US”. El Clarin newspaper points out that 4 Awacs and battle ships will cooperate with Argentine Air Force in the security of the Summit.
A couple of weeks ago, Argentina purchase Sidewinder missiles for this occasion, same ones that Great Britain used against Argentina in the Malvinas-Faulkland war in 1982 Given that in that war, Argentina lost 69 planes, in 1995 Argentina began purchasing A-4AR Fightinghawks planes to begin re-arming their Air Force (today, only 10 out of 39 are in flying conditions)
They will be employing 8 A-4AR Fightinghawks, 8 French Mirage, and 8 Argentine made Pucaras (designed for anti-insurgency combat since, if I recall correctly, are able to move from side to side while flying straight).
The US also brought some Blakhawks and CH3 helicopters to protect Bush while he moves around Mar del Plata.
An exclusion area of 220 miles in diameter has been created, which will be guarded by the Argentine Air Force. The Mirages can travel from that area in about 10 minutes.
As for the city of Mar del Plata, 250 blocks have been blocked of in order to insure the safety of Americas’ 34 Presidents (all except Fidel Castro). According to Pagina 12, on November there are 3 protective areas: the first one consists of a fence (so heavy that it takes three people to open the gates). Behind the gates, is the Province of Buenos Aires police, an anti-mutiny brigade, and the mounted police.
The second line of the fence is 3 blocks away. Even further away is the third protective ring, which cannot be seen from the first one. Needles to say, this operation has turned upside down the whole city. Bumper to bumper traffic is ever present, for there are only three gates for vehicles, long lines to cross the fence for those who live with it, not being able to get the needed credentials, delivery trucks that could not get the passes, can’t do their deliveries. So, it is understandable that the people of Mar del Plata are not too thrilled. Many have left the city until the Summit is over.
Another reason many people have left is that there are many rumors flying around. For example, ti has been said that there are 40,000 body bags in the city. Further more, it has been said that the US has brought 4,000 coffins. There has also been the rumor that Bush is also bringing his own food, because he is afraid of being poisoned.
They also mentioned that the US has rented 2 frigorific warehouses. The rumors where such, that the government issued a statement to try to calm down the population.
The Peoples Summit
Lets start with a brief history:
The Peoples Summit (also referred to as the Counter-Summit) first took place in 1998, when the continent was fighting the neo-liberal policies, of militarization, and foreign debt, pushed by the US to dominate the Continent.
At the first counter-summit they demanded that there were more public information that the governments kept secret regarding free trade, and that the presidents should not sign no treaty without popular consultation.
In 2001, the third Summit of the Americas, and the second Summit of the people there were two visible discussions: on the one hand the presidents would compromise that the FTAA should begin to function in January of 2005, while the Peoples Summit was rejecting it and conduct popular mobilizations to resist the FTAA: today we can see that the FTAA has not been implemented, which is a product of popular resistance.
In the present counter-summit, there will be over 600 organizations, conducting over 150 workshops and conferences concentrating on these subjects:
-No to the FTAA and free trade -yes to the integration of the people
-We are not debtors-We are creditors of the social, ecological and historical debt.
-No to militarization-Yes to popular sovereignty
Organizers criticized security operations for the Presidential Summit, and related that in and just as in previous there were intimidation campaigns so that people would leave the city, borrowing US’ paranoid discourses
Subjects will concentrate on education, justice, unions and syndicates, energy health, land and food sovereignty.
The Peoples Summit is not about protesting. Rather, it is about creating alternatives, about getting to know in depth the domination policies of the US for the region.
Nobel Peace Price, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, said: “we are going to repudiate Bush for the serious human rights violations, and for the invasion to Iraq. We are going to demand from the Latin-American presidents have some coherence so that kids wont from poverty.”
He also praise the presence of soccer player Diego Maradona, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who will leaving the security zone to be present in the Peoples Summit (now that is a president with guts) and Bolivian presidential candidate, and coca leader Evo Morales. Although Fidel Castro won’t be present, there is a big Cuban presence.
UPDATE
Bush’s intention is to sign the FTAA agreement. My opinion is that this is crucial because if he does, he will earn some political capital, which we all know is so desperately needs when his image bottoming down. During his trip to Argentina, Condoleezza Rice and her argentine counterpart, Rafael Bielsa had a phone conversation that lasted about half hour. Those conversations have been described as tense.
Apparently, Bielsa explained her The Mercosur’s position and what is blocking the advance of the treaty. Apparently Rice was not to understanding, and said that the US wants that some concrete advance in these negotiations. According to some versions, Bielsa had accepted some points. According to others, he said that it was a matter for the Mercosur, and that it was out of his hands.
Apparently, there might be two different documents, which would be a first: One would express the majority version, and the other the Mercosur’s positions. This would be very unusual, because it would indicate the strong division of the continent. And Bush, with all the problems that he has at home, has to present himself as a leader of the group.
What the Latin-American opposition is looking for is an end to American subsidies of agricultural products, so they can have a chance of introducing their products into the US. If he does, he will face strong opposition of those red states, which are the agricultural zones.
After maintaining his arrival in secret, due to security reasons Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived to Mar del Plata . His first comments were against the FTAA,
He will be staying in a hotel OUTSIDE the exclusion zone. For him, the FTAA is dead and “we are going to bury it here,” and pointed out that the American empire is weakened and that proof of that is that the Presidents will sign a document that will not mention the FTAA. He also said: “only the peoples union will save this land.”
UPDATE:
Riots begin to take place. These groups are the hardliners. They set fire toBanco de Galicia. The numbers given By MSNBC are about 1,00. Argentine radio Splendid only says that they are about 200.
The rioters have been moving out, and on their retreat they are still burning and breaking stores.
Also they just mentioned that they are vandalizing a store of Direct TV. Also the rioters are concentrating on American related stores.
In Buenos Aires they destroyed a branch of the Bank of Boston