Preparations for the upcoming Summit of the Americas are reaching a high pitch in the capital city of Trinidad and Tobago as it gets ready to host the leaders of 34 Western hemisphere nations during summit meetings here on April 17-19.
UNPRECEDENTED TASK FOR HOST COUNTRY
Trinidad and Tobago, the two-island nation off the northern coast of South America, has a population of about 1.3 million and land territories of 5,128 square kilometers. The country faces an unprecedented task to accommodate such a big event that heavily taxes its infrastructure, lodging and human resources.
Workers are scurrying to apply fresh paint to buildings, complete three new hangars at Piarco Airport in the capital city, repave key roads and finish a promenade and fountains at the new Port of Spain International Waterfront.
Barack Obama, the first U.S. president to attend the gathering, will lead the 1,000-member U.S. delegation, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to local and U.S. news reports.
They will arrive on 25 aircraft. One of the three new hangars at the airport will be used exclusively for Air Force One, a three-deck Boeing VC-25 that will carry a 26-member crew and 76 passengers. It will be the largest of the 30-plus planes transporting 34 national leaders and 5,000 delegates attending the summit.
Tucked into the belly of one of the U.S. aircraft will be "the Beast," Obama's official, military-grade, armor-plated, tinted-glass limousine. The president's personal physician and medical team will travel with him, bringing along a blood supply in case the president should need emergency treatment.
The nearly 10-million-U.S. dollar upgrade at Piarco Airport includes improvements at the south terminal, where arrival ceremonies will be held; the resurfacing of roads surrounding the airport; and new lighting and landscaping.
Despite tight security at the airport, Trinidad and Tobago authorities insisted that commercial traffic will not be disrupted during the summit. Passenger check-ins, arrivals and departures will take place at the older north terminal.
However, the nation's residents have been alerted that life in the capital city and outlying areas visited by high-level officials will grind to a halt during the summit, the fifth of its kind since 1994.
Traffic jams and checkpoints will be the norm, especially in the immediate area of the Hyatt Regency, site of most of the formal summit meetings.
Security forces numbering in the thousands will include law enforcement personnel recruited from many Caribbean countries, including a contingent from the Royal Grenada Police Force and Special Services Unit, visiting CARICOM (Caribbean Community) troops from Barbados and St. Kitts, 30 security officers and 94 soldiers from Jamaica, and 60 officers from the Bahamas Police Force, as well as a massive presence of security personnel from the United States.
Numerous no-go and restricted zones will prohibit car and foot traffic on many streets in the capital. Several dress rehearsals simulating arrival ceremonies for the heads of state already have caused inconvenience for locals by blocking access to roads. Several pastors complained that restricted areas would prevent worshipers from attending church services, and a few bar owners already have sought compensation for business losses incurred in the lead-up to the summit.
Summit organizers anticipate demonstrations before and during the conference, according to the local Newsday newspaper. Several groups have warned that they will stage demonstrations to protest the nation's high crime rate, low wages, high food costs, layoffs and the fiscal crisis.
TOTAL COST TO BE OVER 80 MILLION DOLLARS
Protests are also expected to focus on the price tag for the summit, which is expected to total more than 82 million dollars, including 3.6 million dollars for 64 new Ford SUVs for use by attendees.
By comparison, the recently concluded Group of 20 summit, which brought together 20 international leaders and their delegations, only cost an estimated 33 million dollars, according to Newsday.
Several forums will precede the meeting of political leaders, including a two-day session on April 15 and 16 involving national tourist office heads, teachers, faith-based groups and trade unions, among others.
"Space has been created for these groups to discuss their problems and gripes with foreign ministers' representatives before the summit opens," said Hector Morales, U.S. permanent representative to the Organization of American States.
"The government in Trinidad has done all it can to set up conditions conducive to a smooth summit process, but I am sure there will be demonstrations," he said.
Apart from the Hyatt Regency hotel, the Trinidad government has also leased two cruise ships, the Caribbean Princess and the Carnival Victory to house government delegations and media attending the conference.
WIDE MEDIA ATTENTION
The event is attracting wide media attention. The communications coordinator of the summit, Felipe Noguera, told Trinidad's Guardian newspaper that about 1,200 media personnel from 34 countries will cover the summit, and the figure does not include the White House press corps.
China's Xinhua News Agency will have one of the biggest media groups at the gathering, with a total of 21 people. Univision Network-a Spanish-language television network in the United States will have 20 people covering the summit. A group of 14 people from Agence France-Presse is expected. The Associated Press and the Thomson Reuters news agency will also have large groups, summit officials said.
Other international media expected include the Arabic news channel Al Jazeera, BBC Brazil, BBC Caribbean Service, BBC News, BBC World, CNN and CNN Chile.
Source:Xinhua
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