COLOMBIA/ BRAZIL: Protests break out ahead of President Bush 's visit to Latin America.

Colombian and Brazilian protesters demonstrated ahead of the upcoming visit of U.S. President George W. Bush. Colombian officials step up security amid warnings of rebel attacks during the visit. The environmental group Greenpeace also protests the high levels of carbon dioxide emissions by the United States. Protests against the visit of U.S. President George W. Bush took place in Brazil and Colombia on Thursday (March 8) as Colombia's top police commander announced that Marxist guerrillas were planning attacks and sabotage during the visit. Outside the National University in the Colombian capital of Bogota, police clashed with students protesting Bush's arrival on Sunday (March 11). Authorities driving water cannons sprayed protesters who tossed molotov cocktails at police. Bush arrives in Bogota on Sunday for talks with President Alvaro Uribe, who has received billions of dollars in U.S. aid to help fight Latin America's oldest guerrilla war and the cocaine trade that helps finance the violence. The country's top police commander warned that the leftist rebels may be planning an attack during Bush's visit. "We have heard some communications, some orders from these criminals to carry out acts of public disorder and we know they could be acts of terrorism," said National Police Commander General Jorge Daniel Castro. In response to the threats, Castro said intelligence organisms were cooperating closely and security has been stepped up. Helped by U.S. funds, Uribe sent troops out to drive back the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC, the country's largest rebel group fighting a four-decade-old insurgency. Violence has dropped sharply, but the rebels are still a potent force, mainly in rural areas. Colombia is Washington's closest ally in South America. Meanwhile, in Sao Paulo where Bush is expected to arrive Thursday (March 8) evening, the environmental group Greenpeace demonstrated against what it said was a lack of action by Bush and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to halt global warming. Activists draped a banner over a national monument saying: "Ethanol is not enough. Stop global warming." Greenpeace climate coordinator Rebecca Lerer said Brazil needs to assume stricter environmental fuel policies. Lula and Bush, whose countries produce 70 percent of the world's ethanol, will discuss plans to cooperate on the production of biofuels and promote their use in Latin America. In another part of the city, over 6,000 protesters marched calling Bush a warmonger and planet polluter. "No. 1 Enemy of Humanity" and "Get out Bush!" read signs carried by workers, students, peasants and other activists. To the beat of Afro-Brazilian drums, they demanded an end to the war in Iraq and what they called state-sponsored torture, U.S. imperialism and growing economic inequality. The five-country tour aims to repair Bush's standing in Latin America, where polls show widespread opposition to the Iraq war and U.S. trade and immigration policies. After Brazil, Bush will travel to Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico.

ITN Source | March 9, 2007

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