Chilean riot police deployed tear gas and water cannon against student demonstrators in Santiago on 17 November 2004, three days before President George W. Bush was scheduled to arrive for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
Protesters, organized by a coalition that included the Communist Party and other groups, gathered along the central Alameda boulevard hoping to march to the city's main library. Some built street barricades and hurled paint bombs at police vehicles. Authorities arrested dozens of participants. One demonstrator, student Sebastian Valenzuela, said authorities were suppressing dissent to project a favorable image to visiting leaders.
Meanwhile, foreign and trade ministers from APEC's 21 member economies opened two days of preliminary talks at a conference center near the Andes foothills. Their agenda covered counter-terrorism cooperation, efforts to advance global trade liberalization, and the possibility of a region-wide free trade agreement.
North Korea's nuclear program was not formally on the agenda, but outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell planned to press fellow APEC members to maintain pressure on Pyongyang, which has declined to participate in six-nation negotiations. Bush also intended to seek regional backing for US-led operations in Iraq and the broader counter-terrorism campaign.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in November 2004, in its own words.