A protester attacks the window of a bank during demonstrations in Mar Del Plata, Argentina. (AP)

Mar Del Plata (Argentina), Nov. 5 (Agencies): An anti-American rally turned violent yesterday as more than 1,000 rioters clashed with police, setting bonfires in the streets and destroying storefronts across about six square blocks less than a mile from the site of the fourth summit of the Americas.

The violence came after a massive, peaceful march by about 10,000 demonstrators earlier in the day who listened to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urge them to fight the policies of President George W. Bush, including a proposal to create a hemisphere-wide free trade agreement.

Later, a group of demonstrators wearing bandanas over their faces and beating wooden clubs against the pavement faced off with riot police, who responded by firing tear gas.

Car sirens wailed as frightened pedestrians fled. Police held fast behind the barricade and prevented what appeared to be an attempt by the demonstrators to break through.

Demonstrators then set American flags on fire, while others used slingshots to fire rocks at police. Several shops, including a minimarket and a pastry store, had their windows shattered during the rioting.

The protest also featured Diego Maradona and Bolivian presidential hopeful Evo Morales, both of whom travelled to Mar Del Plata aboard an overnight train packed with protesters chanting: “Fascist Bush! You are the terrorist!”

Smoking cigars given to him by Cuban President Fidel Castro, Maradona said: “We are going to stand against the human trash known as Bush.”

Today, leaders from across the Americas sought to bridge their differences over a push to create a trade area.

A collective nod for free trade would help bolster Bush’s standing in Latin America, a region largely mistrustful of US-backed, free-market policies that many in the region say have done little to alleviate poverty.

Talks on creating the free trade area have stalled and the Bush administration had hoped to jump-start talks to establish the largest free-trade bloc in the world behind the EU.

Along with Chavez, leaders from Latin America’s big agricultural economies Brazil and Argentina have also voiced concern over Free Trade Area of the Americas, complaining about US farm subsidies. But Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva might have disappointed Chavez by signalling he isn’t staunchly opposed to the free-trade area.

“Free trade is very important if we respect equality among nations,” Lula said. But he added that it was “not opportune” to discuss FTAA before a crucial World Trade Organisation meeting next month in Hong Kong where subsidies would be the top issue.

The Mar del Plata Declaration could include a date in 2006 to re-start talks.