Bush begins historic Peru visit

Toledo welcomed Bush to the presidential palace

President George W Bush has arrived in Peru on his first visit to South America, only days after a car bomb killed nine people near the US embassy in Lima.

Trumpeted national anthems, an honour guard and red carpet greeted the US president as he was met by the Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo at a military base near the capital, Lima.

Some Peruvians protested against Mr Bush's visit

Police arrested 18 people demonstrating against the visit shortly before Mr Bush touched down at 1425 local time (1945 GMT).

Officials said Mr Bush's 17-hour visit - the first to Peru by a sitting US head of state - was intended to give backing to Mr Toledo's democratic and pro-market government.

"We're going to analyse all options available to help Peru," he said before leaving.

But the BBC's Peter Greste says Wednesday's bomb attack has placed regional security and America's war on terror onto the agenda.

Mr Toledo's government has described the visit as historic and a sign of the country's new respectability after President Alberto Fujimori's 10-year rule collapsed following a corruption scandal.

Trade pact

No-one has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's explosion and the imprisoned leaders of the country's main rebel groups have denied involvement.

No-one has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's blast

Mr Toledo has pledged to find those responsible for the attack.

"We will use a firm and heavy hand within the democratic framework, and nobody will be able to say that democracy is weak," he said.

The government has taken extra security measures for Mr Bush's visit, including the deployment of some 7,000 riot police, the temporary closure of its airspace and frigates off the coast, opposite the US president's oceanside hotel.

The US president is also due to hold talks with his counterparts from Colombia and Bolivia, as well as the Ecuadorean vice-president.

Mr Bush has said he hopes a trade pact which opens US markets to certain products to help these countries fight drug trafficking could be renewed "as quickly as possible".