Heavy security enforced for 4th Summit of Americas

With few foreign tourists and fewer cabs on the streets and many shops closed, drivers in Mar del Plata, a beach resort some 400 km south of Argentina's capital Buenos Aires, are having less traffic troubles in the days prior to the 4th Summit of the Americas.

However, the more than 600,000 residents of the coastal city, especially the 60,000 people living in the so-called "temporary off-limit area," which is surrounded by at least four cordon lines, are also suffering from unprecedented inconvenience amid tightened security for the Nov. 4-5 event to be held here.

For now, Argentinians are enjoying the warm spring, the most comfy and busy season in Mar del Plata where tens of thousands of visitors from all around the world flock to hundreds if not thousands of hotels along the sea beaches every year.

As the resort city is to host the summit, which is the highest hemispheric political forum, the usual relaxed atmosphere has become hard to feel.

The planned arrival of 34 heads of state and government of the Americas, including President George W. Bush of the United States, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, and President Vicente Fox of Mexico, has undoubtedly worsened the jitters.

Standing at the moment outside the press center, which overlooks miles of long and beautiful beaches, one can hardly see people swimming, surfing, basking or playing beach volleyball as could be seen before. What is there now is only a vast but void piece of beach where chairs, tables and umbrellas have not been rented for days.

Taking a walk along the streets in the "off-limit area," one will find that almost all the windows facing the streets are either closed or have their plastic shades drawn. But the most glaring difference from normal days is that heavily armed policemen and security troops can be seen everywhere. The Colon Avenue, a major road leading to the summit venue, has been heavily guarded by police day and night.

Authorities said at least 7,000 police officers, many of whom from other provinces, have been deployed in Mar del Plata to beef up security. What is more, several warships are anchored just off the coast.

Following the implementation of rigorous precautionary measures, public services in Mar del Plata have become so weak that police officers on duty have to be responsible for street cleaning in the cordoned-off areas during the summit days.

"All this phenomena should be attributed to measures to guard against possible international terrorism," a grocery owner, named Hugo, told Xinhua as he complained about the tense situation in the city.

Hugo was apparently not the only one who is griping about inconvenience as the precautionary measures imposed by the police authorities have really brought a great number of side-effects to all walks of life in the city.

It was reported that some 60,000 special permits are supposed to be issued for permanent residents in the "off-limit area" for security reasons.

"This is really troublesome," local security officials said, adding that many citizens have vowed to boycott the summit and refused to accept special permits available to them.

Source: Xinhua