Thanks for the ping. That is a great video.
I think we did have some agents inside, at least the female agent.
I think the guys just standing there are either Chileans or security people waiting for other leaders. Putin's people or something.
In a video that I watched the other day, they did let in a second agent after the President moved away from the area.
They looked a little shook up.
Did you see that video? It showed much more of the fight outside, even after George and Laura had gone on.
It was scary.
Somewhere I had heard that the President did know about the disagreements. I can't remember where I heard that though.
I did a lot of reading of the Chilean news websites, and some other places, and it appears the whole thing was a turf war, and a lack of understanding since they haven't had a 9/11, and they're a small country, and their president isn't leader of the free world. The head of Chilean security was quoted in one source as saying, "We control security inside La Moneda...no one else" (that had to do with the dinner and the metal detectors, not the fracas) , to which I would have responded to him, if I could, "I understand that. I can respect that. But the US Secret Service controls the security of the President of the United States...no one else." So what happened was the unstoppable force encountered the immovable object; however, the immovable object moved when they saw the president's arm grabbing hold of his agent...LOL!
On another note, the leading newspaper in Chile "El Mercurio", ran at least two stories about Secret Service Agent Nick Trotta:
http://www.lun.com/especial/detalle_noticia.asp?idnoticia=C383129268555556&cuerpo=701&seccion=814&subseccion=901
Here's a brief summary of the article: Nick Trotta is a big Yankee fan, he's 45 years old, born in New Rochelle, New York, the son of Italian immigrants, a devout (ferviente) Catholic, a good family man and very dedicated to his job. The article explains to readers how it is Trotta's job to never leave the side of the president even for a moment. (Keep in mind most Chileans don't know what is involved in protecting the president.)
http://www.lun.com/ElDia/detalle_noticia.asp?idnoticia=C383138823547107&cuerpo=701&seccion=801&subseccion=901
Summary: This article gives roughly the same information as the first, only this time, they are interviewing a priest in New Jersey, who was principal of the parochial school that Nick attended. He's a good friend of the family's. He says everybody is very proud of Nick. He says when Nick got married, President Bush, Sr. sent him a special message. Then the box at the bottom is from Michael Moritz, who interviewed Nick Trotta in 2003, who says that Nick is very respected in his hometown of New Rochelle, and that Nick often comes to visit his parents who still live there, and his friends. He says that Nick goes to mass every Sunday and is a really good guy.