Bombs explode in Colombia as summit opens

PLEASE NOTE, THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL

Small explosions rocked Colombia on Friday evening (April 13), as leaders gathered for a summit in the coastal city of Cartagena.

Two small bombs exploded in Cartagena near a bus terminal, and another two went off in the capital Bogota.

The bombings were timed, just hours after President Barack Obama touched down in Cartagena.

Another hitch came when Secret Service agents sent to provide security for Obama were sent home, after being alleged of heavy drinking and misconduct involving prostitutes.

Despite the embarrassment -- hopes were high in Latin America that the summit will re-energise ties with the United States, and possibly even lead to a detente with Cuba.

Addressing business leaders ahead of the summit, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said the U.S. must re-focus on the region.

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT JUAN MANUEL SANTOS, SAYING:

"If the United States realizes its long-term strategic interests are not in Afghanistan or Pakistan, but in Latin America, and if it realises that by working together we can generate this prosperity that we are all looking for -- this way, there will be great results."

In recent years, China has taken over the U.S. as the top trading partner of various countries in Latin America.

The sixth Summit of the Americas gathers 33 leaders, and is expected to tackle Cuba, the Falklands dispute, trade tensions, and the war on drugs.

Michaela Cabrera, Reuters.