Strange stuff. With the level of animosity the President and his detail need to be careful. Especially in an relatively unstable country like like Chile.
Chilean police getting between the President and his security. Crazy stuff.
When VP Nixon was in Caracas Venezuala in the late 1950's hostile communist crowds ambushed the Presidential convoy. They set up roadblocks and had their thugs waiting. VP Nixon's secret service where ready to fire on the crowd but Nixon stopped them because he thought shots would enrage the crowd. The convoy managed to cross the median and escape.
Eisenhower ordered available military to the area and was ready to respond against Chile.
A very interesting story detailed in Nixon's book Six Crises. In this case, the Venazualan police disappeared when the crowds started mobbing.
We can not trust S. American police to provide security for our President or dignataries I think.
=8-)
Thanks for the memory! I was quite young at the time of the Nixon in Venezuela incident, but I was old enough to recall it later as something that was very alarming and dangerous.
I have been so busy admiring GWB's forthright behavior in this incident that it has only just occurred to me that this may have been a set-up for something else. Maybe he should start travelling with Marines. The Secret Service is certainly effective, but I think the Marine image is such that nobody would dare mess with them. Certainly not some flunky at the door.