MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Security scuffles and official banquet cancelled

The Chilean Commander of Carbineros (Militarized police), General Alberto Cienfuegos played down the scuffle between President George W. Bush body guards and some of his men at the APEC Saturday night summit dinner, which be said was caused by the “excessive professional zeal” of US Secret Service agents.

President Bush settled the shoving match between security agents and Carabineros by grabbing one of his bodyguards and according to several witnesses, pulling him into the Mapocho Cultural Centre saying that "he's with me".

The incident occurred on arrival of President Bush when six Secret Service agents tried to follow him into the building where that night's ceremony was taking place, but the Carabineros on duty stopped them.

President Bush became aware of the situation as he was being greeted by host Chilean President Ricardo Lagos and photos were being taken of the two presidential couples in the foyer of the Mapocho Centre.

The US president returned to the main entrance and literally "rescued" one of his bodyguards while the other five had to remain waiting.

"Carabineros acted according to their orders, and in Chile we run the show and set the rules", said General Cienfuegos who nevertheless admitted that "these scuffles can happen in this type of activities because they are very sensitive".

The US delegation also tried to defuse the incident by saying that "although the president likes to delegate", sometimes he likes to do things "with his own hands", White House spokesman Scott McClellan said with a smile.

However the impressive security measures surrounding President Bush forced the Chilean government to cancel the official dinner scheduled for this Sunday.

On ending the APEC summit Mr. Bush began a state visit to Chile.

Chilean officials did not accept the US Secret Service condition that all guests, --national authorities, congressmen and diplomats--, be closely frisked with metal detectors and decided to change the banquet for a "working dinner" between the two presidents and their main advisors.

So an estimated party for 400/500 people was finally cut down to an almost private dinner for twenty. According to Chilean diplomatic sources both presidents wanted "to make the most of the time they have to review bilateral relations".

Military honours for visiting heads of state in Santiago's main Constitution Square was also cancelled because the US Secret Service feared an extreme exposure of President Bush as he walked across to Government House.

Santiago's press points out the difference between the obsessive security zeal surrounding President Bush and the normal attitude of other world leaders who met with President Lagos such a Russia's Putin or China's Hu Jiantao.