criminals caught in the act and caught by surprise. >> there's two guns in my face. and right then and there, i just jumped on them. >> life-and-death fights. >> there's a survival instinct, and my survival depends on getting that gun. >> vicious attacks. >> it was definitely shocking to see the type of brutality that was going on on the tape. >> reckless and outrageous behavior. >> my grandmother called me saying, wayne, they're going to kill your mother on tv. >> with the baby, it was pretty horrific. >> hostage-takers with nothing to lose. >> they said that they are going to kill one passenger every 30 minutes.

>> and special forces with everything on the line. "caught on camera: desperate and dangerous." >> welcome to "caught on camera." i'm contessa brewer. when people commit violent crimes, they put themselves and others in serious danger. the outcome is never certain, and police officers who respond are faced with the tough challenge of dealing with a threat while protecting the lives of innocent bystanders, often caught in the middle. a bank robber walks out after a heist, thinking he's scot-free and is instantly blind-sided by an undercover police officer. the officer comes out of nowhere, and the dramatic takedown is over in seconds. the boy's identity is obscured

because of his age. the police officer's because he's undercover. the incident begins nearly an hour earlier on a cold, snowy morning in toronto, canada. a 16-year-old boy walks into a bank on february 26, 2008. he says he has a gun and demands $150,000. well trained bank employees take their time, complying with the robber's demands and alert authorities by silent alarm. the city's emergency tactical force responds. sharpshooters take up positions outside the bank and out of view of the bank robber inside. >> he didn't know we were all there. he was oblivious to what was going on outside the bank. >> police aren't the only ones who respond to the incident. >> i got a call saying there is a bank robbery hostage-taking scenario, can you go directly

there? >> global news reporter katharine mcdonald scrambles to the scene. >> there was a feeling of anxiety because you just didn't know what might happen. >> shoppers running their morning errands are caught unaware as police lock down surrounding stores. >> so people with children in strollers were going about their daily business, and those were the people that they were really worried about, that someone would arrive on the scene and walk into the middle of a potentially dangerous shooting or, you know, the takedown gone wrong. >> inside, an undercover officer slips in without the bank robber noticing. he keeps police outside informed via cell phone. and when the bank robber exits, they're ready to take him down. >> the suspect's now talking about leaving. he's taking the employee's car keys. >> so you're waiting. you're waiting. there's this feeling of anticipation. everyone's sort of holding their breath. and all of a sudden he walks out.

>> the undercover officer approaches from behind, grabs the robber's neck, and pulls him to the ground. the cop holds his own pistol in the air with his finger off the trigger so it doesn't fire accidentally. >> it was very dramatic. it was fast. it was over before it began. it was over before it began. it was the kind or thing that you had to slow down and repeat, because in the movies it doesn't happen that quickly and in real life you think, wait a second, that happened way too fast. >> heavily armed tactical squad members run in and hold the bank robber down. panicked bystanders don't know what to think. >> it was horrifying. we weren't sure if there were bullets going to come flying out from the bank. >> the police don't find the gun the young thug claimed to have. the undercover officer is given an award for his courageous actions. in renton, washington, police respond to a hostage situation at the local safeway supermarket may 21st, 1993. >> highly unusual to have such a public place be the forum where this event takes place.

to have one in a safeway store, involving a clerk that had been taken hostage in the early morning hours on a friday, that was unusual. >> a woman walks into the store and holds a large butcher knife at the throat of 56-year-old clerk delores brunson. >> she was working in the flower area at that time in the store. i think she was blowing up some balloons. and the girl just came in and grabbed the first person that she saw working, and my mother happened to be the unfortunate one. >> the hostage-taker, 34-year-old holly sefia, has been smoking crack cocaine and drinking alcohol. she demands to use a phone and calls family members to tell them she wants to die. brian wilson, now chief of police in nearby federal way, washington, responds to the incident. >> i think she knew that the actions that she was taking would produce a police response. she's clearly threatening the life of another, you know, innocent person. >> the hostage-taker calls police and local tv stations,

which send news crews and broadcasts the tense situation live. the victim's family sees her on tv. >> my grandmother called me very frantic saying, wayne, they're going to kill your mother on tv. and i said, what? >> dolores is a single mother with five sons, three of whom race to the safeway fearing the worst. >> i thought from the very beginning that it wasn't going to end well. when i looked in the girl's eyes and saw that there was something lost and the knife against my mother's neck and you could actually see it on her neck, i didn't think it was going to end well at all. >> police proceed cautiously, trying to defuse the situation by talking to holly. negotiators are able to convince her to let all the other employees and customers go free. but the hostage-taker keeps dolores and holds the knife close to her throat. >> i saw the fear of death in my mother's eyes. you could see that she was afraid. >> sharpshooters have several opportunities to strike, and there are several moments when

the order is almost given. but police hold off. >> we were just inclined to believe that she was not going to hurt the hostage. however, there were certainly times where we did have probable cause to eliminate that threat at that point, but we chose not to and to keep those negotiations going. it was a tough call. >> the bizarre and frightening standoff continues for four hours. >> it felt like days. we knew that the police and the s.w.a.t. team had it under control, but at the same time, when the girl has a knife next to her neck, all she has to do is push it. so, yeah, it was very agonizing. >> negotiations continue outside the store. face to face, in front of an espresso stand. >> at the time i wanted them to shoot her because i thought she was going to kill my mother. that first instinct was, well, why aren't they shooting her? because they did have the

marksmen there to do it. >> finally, dolores is momentarily released. police seize the opportunity, they use pepper spray and tackle the hostage-taker to the ground. the crowd that's gathered erupts in applause as the tense standoff is resolved without any loss in life. >> i'm glad they didn't shoot her, because i wouldn't want to see anybody lose their life over something stupid they've done. >> the tactics employed by police today are different. i believe there's less tolerance on the part of the public for placing others at risk. >> holly sefia is sentenced to four years in prison. dolores brunson suffers from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. she is diagnosed with cancer shortly after the incident, and dies two years later. >> she was really kind of a special mother. and being raised without a father around at a younger age, she was kind of a male role model at the same time.

she was a good mother. coming up -- >> give me your money now. >> robberies don't go as planned. >> there was two guns in my face. and right then and there, i just jumped on him. >> attacks come from out of nowhere. >> it was definitely shocking to see the type of brutality that was going on on the tape. a father does the unthinkable. and a $500 million heist for the ages. >> they were just so audacious, it was almost like someone saying, we're going to rob the crown jewels. you almost dismiss it as not being possible because it's too extraordinary. >> when "caught on camera: desperate and dangerous" continues. ♪[music plays]

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at the fiesta food market in tamarack, florida, an outside security camera catches a man dressed in black running into the store march 17th, 2009. inside another camera shows

store manager nathan summer walking toward the door when the robber barrels in with a gun in each hand. >> there was two guns in my face. at first i was shocked, you know. i was scared. i take two steps back, and right then and there, i just jumped on him. >> the 36-year-old store manager attacks the gunman, who shoots. >> i was shot in my chest first. and it actually went in a side angle through my chest, through my arm. >> but the bullet doesn't stop nathan. wounded, he pushes the robber out of the store. the gunman keeps firing. >> there were several rounds fired off, between like six and eight rounds. >> nathan drags the gunman down into the bushes, and they continue to struggle. >> then i got shot in my neck, and when i got shot in my neck, you see me going down, and i grabbed my gun.

>> nathan carries a gun in his right pocket. he grabs it, but he's too injured to use it. >> i drop it because i'm just in so much pain. i was in shock. and to be honest with you, i thought that was it. when i got shot in my neck, i thought that was it. >> the gunman runs off and leaves nathan bleeding on the sidewalk, close to death. >> i got shot here, and it went through the middle of my back. and then the other one, actually it's crazy how it hit me. it came here and went through there and out my arm right here. >> he tries to get up, but can't. fortunately others in the store come to help. one calls 911. another ties his t-shirt around the bullet hole in nathan's neck to slow the bleeding. >> to be honest with you, two guys saved my life, and i'll never forget that, never, ever, ever. i owe them my life. >> he's airlifted to the nearest trauma hospital.

after surgery, he's put in a medically induced coma for two days. >> i got shot tuesday night at 10:30. they didn't wake me up until thursday around like 2:00, and then i just was in so much pain, an my neck was sticking out. and i had tubes in my lungs. it was really an experience i never want to go through again. >> even though the gunman is dressed head to toe in black and wears a face mask, in the videotape released by police to the media, generates a tip that leads to the arrest of 19-year-old john jacobs. he's charged with attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery, pleads not guilty, and awaits trial. in what's believed to be the most expensive attempted robbery in modern history, a gang of hardened criminals uses a specially designed bulldozer to crash first through a gate, then through a wall at the famed

millennium dome in london, england, november 7, 2000. their target, a diamond exhibit estimated to be worth $500 million. it features the 203-carat de beers millennium star, one of the largest flawless diamonds in the world. the robbers are heavily armed and wear body armor. they get out of the bulldozer and throw smoke grenades. they move into the diamond exhibit and uses a nail gun to weaken the glass cases protecting the diamonds. then one of the crooks uses a sledgehammer to finish the job. he breaks through. the jewels are theirs for the taking. >> they were just so audacious. it's almost like someone saying, we're going to rob the crown jewels. you thought -- well, you almost dismiss it as not being possible because it's too extraordinary. >> the thieves planned to escape on a waiting speedboat on the thames river and then into a

getaway van. it's just like a james bond movie, including james bond, played by the scotland yard. >> this gang played for high stakes, and we played for high stakes to catch them as well. >> the outlandish heist is caught by dozens of surveillance cameras set up by a special scotland yard squad that's been tracking the gang for more than four months. the crooks are known to police as the geezer gang, a group led by four lifelong criminals. >> they've never worked. they've just had easy money, led champagne lifestyles, and really they've done very well. >> authorities catch wind of the gang's brazen plan after investigating a botched armored car robbery. the crooks get away from that crime without any cash, but they leave behind clues that lead police to a farm, which is put under round-the-clock surveillance. over the next few months, investigators slowly deduce the outrageous plan to steal the

millennium diamonds. authorities decide to let the gang get away with the robbery to a point, so they can convict them of serious charges. >> we felt this was our best opportunity to remove from society some extremely dangerous and ruthless criminals. >> the crime takes place at the millennium dome, a specially designed public space built by the british government to celebrate january 1st, 2000, the beginning of the third millennium. inside the dome are more than a dozen exhibits, made to fascinate the public. none more so than the one showcasing 11 rare blue diamonds surrounding the de beers millennium star. >> we are honored to present the de beers millennium star. >> when it was originally found, it was 677 carats in the rough as we call it. eventually, as you know, it finished up as this magnificent polished diamond of 233 carats.

>> the diamonds are kept in a special vault in glass cases. these glass cases are designed specifically to guard them from attack. >> that glass we were told by the manufacturer would sustain up to a half an hour that was seriously trying to take it with any instrument that we knew of at the time used by robbers. >> the gang attacks in the morning, when the exhibits, including the diamond vault, are open to the public. the thieves use a huge bulldozer to ram through the gate and the wall of the millennium dome, and it's unstoppable. >> this was like a tank. nothing was going to stop this. it was too big. i mean we couldn't even shoot the tires out. >> it's complete chaos inside. tourists allowed inside by police so the criminals aren't tipped off, are caught unaware as one of the robbers throws smoke grenades. >> if you look at him, you'll see he's wearing a gas mask, dark clothing. he looks like a terrorist.

he starts to throw smoke flares. >> the gang moves into the diamond vault and uses a gun powder-fired nail gun on the glass case, three shots, and then a few whacks with a sledgehammer, and then the specially designed case protecting the millennium star diamond cracks open. they continue to break into a separate glass case protecting the 11 blue diamonds when scotland yard springs into action. more than 200 officers move in and take down the gang. >> there was a hell of a lot of noise. there was a lot of shouting and screaming. they bravely entered the vault, not knowing what was inside. still fearing firearms. there was smoke everywhere. defendants went down to the floor, and they were detained. >> the police operation is executed without any loss of life. in fact, the criminals are apprehended without a single shot being fired.

unbeknownst to the geezer gang, police have an ace in the hole. on this day, the real jewels have been replaced with fakes just in case. five gang members are convicted of conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to steal. they're sentenced to prison terms ranging from 5 to 15 years. coming up, a mother trapped in a fire desperate to save her newborn baby. >> the mother was saying, "please, please, somebody catch my baby. catch my baby." >> i had to save him, so i had to drop him. a stick-up turns a fight into a death. >> my survival depends on getting that gun. and terrorists meet their match when "caught on camera: desperate and dangerous" continues. an accident doesn't have to slow you down.

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desperate to save her baby's life, she holds him out the window, as those on the ground try their best to prepare. then she drops the baby. >> it is scary. i was just praying to god that they save my son. >> three stories up, trucinda fox is pinned down by flames and overcome by thick, black smoke in her apartment. terrified her 1-month-old son eric will suffocate, she holds him out the window. >> i had to save him. and being in the house i knew it was not going to save us. so i had to do what i had to do, so i had to drop him. >> 30 feet below, felix vasquez looks up. >> it was a quick thing. it was a quick reaction. the mother was saying, please, please, somebody catch my baby, catch my baby. i just jumped in, grabbed him and took it from there. >> felix is a housing authority supervisor. he plays catcher on his softball team and today holds tight as the baby falls into his arms. >> it was a miracle out there, god was with me, and i did what

i had to do. >> he makes the catch of a lifetime and gives the baby mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. moments later firefighters rescue trucinda from her burning apartment and give her oxygen. it's a harrowing scene, but both mom and baby emerge unharmed. the jaw-dropping catch, one for the record books. you have no good faith. not one iota. so now, now -- >> another frightening scene involving a child being held out a window, this time with evil intentions. it unfolds in vancouver, british columbia, july 31st, 1985. >> are you willing? >> 33-year-old richard gaudry taunts police by dangling his 2-year-old son out a third-story window, holding him with just one hand. >> he was shaking the baby by the ankle, moving around. the baby was crying. once we were there, we didn't really want to look at him.

>> in his other hand, the desperate dad holds a knife to his 2-year-old's throat. >> he had a knife in his hand. the knife was at the baby, and threatening to drop the baby. it was pretty horrific. >> it all begins about an hour earlier, after the father, upset over losing custody of his son, grabs the baby from his mother and begins using him as a pawn while he vents his rage. the police and fire departments respond. officers stay calm and try to talk to the knife-wielding man. >> he would lean over, wave the knife at me, and he was threatening to kill the baby. i was just talking to him, trying to keep him calm, trying to keep things so that they didn't explode and get worse than what they were. >> sharpshooters take up positions, and the distraught dad makes one concrete demand, beer. >> he threw a $10 bill at me and

said he wanted some beer, and so i made arrangements for him to get some beer, and my supervisor didn't like that idea. that's when he became very agitated and said he would, you know -- he was going to get some beer or else things were going to happen. >> the man goes berserk, throwing a stereo out the window. then to the horror of everyone watching, the man leans out the window, clutching the baby with one arm and waving the knife around in the other. >> are you willing to take this chance? >> no! >> you are? >> no! >> he wanted his beer. and that's when he held the baby out the window. >> he screams out threats and demands. then the father ups the ante. he holds the baby upside down. >> are you willing to take this chance? >> i was totally not prepared for what i saw. >> no! >> everyone holds their breath. >> are you willing? it's up to you. beer now. >> get somebody underneath him. >> he's back at the window.

he's leaning partially out the window. he's holding the child out of the window now. >> he had only one hand on the little child's ankle there. i know he was distraught, and i was worried that even accidentally he was going to drop the baby. >> the reckless tactic works. the father gets his beer. >> he's back inside now. he says he'll have one beer on the back porch with us. what do you think? >> keep stalling him if you can. >> we went down to the local beer parlor and got a case of beer. we didn't give it all to him. we just gave it to him a bottle at a time. >> after two hours, the father momentarily put down the baby. the police seize that opportunity. >> we finally got a chance to grab him. we subdued him pretty easily. >> another officer picked up the baby. and the tense standoff is over. >> i felt good, felt exhausted, i felt, jesus, you know, it took a lot out of me. >> the baby's unharmed. the father, richard gaudry, pleads guilty to five charges.

>> try to give him a christian upbringing and you get in jail. >> and is sentenced to seven years in prison. >> i'll never forget it. i can close my eyes and recall it any time. coming up -- all-out brawls. >> he made a split second decision to fight for what was his. alarming beatings. >> it was just completely senseless. and deadly encounters. when "caught on camera: desperate and dangerous" continues. what makes sam adams boston lager great is as simple as abc.

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welcome back to "caught on camera." i'm contessa brewer. if a robber pulled a gun on you and demanded money, would you give it to him? police say always give crooks what they want. it's not worth losing your life over, no matter how much money is involved. but some people confronted with such a life-or-death situation, instinctively protect what's theirs and go on the attack at their own peril.

an attempted robbery doesn't go as planned for two thieves at a jewelry store in phoenix, arizona, january 6th, 2009. it's all caught by the store's multicamera video surveillance system. two men walk into the store and try to sell a watch. the two men were just in the store ten minutes ago trying to sell the same watch, but were rejected. this time, they have come back for revenge. while the store owner inspects the watch again, one of the men hits him with pepper spray. the owner falls back as the man smashes open the glass display case with a metal baton. but the tables are quickly turned. before the crooks can take any jewels, they run away in fear as the owner comes back with a .38 caliber revolver he keeps in his pocket.

the criminals can't escape through the locked door. the 61-year-old store owner, fearing for his life, half blind from the pepper spray, fires at the men who cower in the corners. there's nowhere to hide. one of the men gets up. the store owner shoots again. the robbers plead for their lives and try to protect themselves by putting a table and chairs between them and the store owner. the store owner fires more shots and bangs on the wall yelling for his neighbors to call 911. he fires several times and each man is hit once. the store owner keeps his gun pointed at them, telling the men to stay down. he gets closer and hits one of the men over the head several times, causing his gun to discharge. but he continues to hold them at gunpoint until police arrive. 24-year-old gregory mills and 27-year-old jason buckingham plead guilty to burglary.

police say the store owner acted in self-defense and he's not charged. at a canadian convenience store in hamilton, ontario, a robber runs inside with a gun on february 5th, 2009, but there's no one around. the owner is in the back and the robber doesn't know what to do. then he calls out. >> hello? >> yeah? >> the owner comes out and the crook points a gun at him, demanding money. >> give me your money, now! >> the store owner goes to the cash register and then tries to grab the robber's gun. >> give me my money! give me my money! >> but the owner won't give him money. instead, he bangs on the glass to get the attention of his employee pumping gas outside. >> give me the money! >> i hear this frantic banging on the glass. and i look over and mr. sudu is signaling for me to come to the door. >> not sure what the commotion is all about, tony hammond walks into the store and into trouble. >> i get to the door and i open it, and that's when i first see

the guy. >> give me the money! money! >> the gunman keeps demanding money. when he doesn't get any, there's a tense standoff. >> give me the money! >> i'm thinking, well, maybe there's a chance he doesn't have the guts to use it and, you know, we can just convince him to leave. look, you're not going to get any money, no harm, no foul, walk out the door. and at that point, mr. sudu grabs the gun. >> and i just reacted. i jumped. >> mr. sudu tries to grab the gun again, and tony leaps into action, attacking the gunman, throwing him into one of the food stands and then up against the counter. >> it's very risky, because if you watch the video at one point the gun is pointed right at mr. sudu, and he's got ahold of it. so any time that gun could have gone off. >> a life-and-death struggle ensues. >> we're both fighting for this gun. we're not fighting each other. we're fighting over the gun he has and the gun i'm trying to get.

>> the fight continues up and down the aisle. mr. sudu joins in. >> obviously there's a survival instinct, and my survival depends on getting that gun. >> give me the money! >> they finally get the gun away. the store owner calls 911. >> let me go! >> realizing the robbery is a bust, the crook tries to flee, but tony blocks him and then holds him. >> he realizes at that point he's got to get away. he's made the dumbest mistake of his life, and it's going to be a lot worse for him if he's still here when the cops get here. so he's now in a life-and-death struggle for his future. he slips away from me and starts going back across the front of the store. >> they wrestle to the ground. the store owner bangs on the

thief's head as tony grabs him from behind. >> i get him from behind around the neck and i flip him over and land on top of him. we wrestle a few more times. that's when he grabs the shelf and tries to hit me. >> the shelf cuts tony's head, but the fight continues. tony tries to hold him until police arrive, but the robber worms his way toward the door. they get up, and tony tries to we want to take you to colombia right now where president obama is speaking during the summit of the americas. let's listen. >> this will be remembered as a summit that brought the nation of our hemisphere closer together and it it will be remembered that we advance the prosperity and security and dignity of our peoples.

and i believe it will be remembered that our progress was made possible in no small part by the outstanding commitment by mr. santos and his team. so muchas gracias. there was a time not long ago when few could imagine holding a summit like this in colombia. the summit was such a success, it's a tribute to the remarkable transformation that's occurred in this area. there's a level of security and the checonomy is growing, as yo can see in the skyline. democratic institutions are being strengthened. in colombia today there is hope. and this progress, once unthinkable, is a tribute to mr.

santos. it's a testament to the ordinary forces. and the colombian people. and now as conflict begins to recede, this nation is embracing a new task. consolidating the gains it has won and building a just and durable piece that unlocks colombia's incredible potential. today i pledge to president santos that as colombia forths its future, con local bee yeah will continue to have a strong partner in the united states. when we met for the first time two years ago, we decided to take the countries to a new level. this is part of my broader commitment to seek partnerships of equality, based on mutual interests and mutual respect. here in colombia and across the region, that's exactly what we've done and we reviewed our progress and i'm pleased to say

reached agreement on several new initiatives. first, as has already been mentioned, we're moving ahead with our landmark trade agreement. we approved an action plan to ensure the labor rights. we all know that more work still needs to be done but we've made significant progress. and as a result and given the actions taken by president santos and the colombian will enter into force next month on may 15th. [ applause ] as i've said before, this is a win for both our countries. it's a win for the united states by increasing exports by more than $1 billion, supporting thousands of u.s. jobs and helping my goal of doubling u.s. exports. it's a win for colombia, by giving you greater access to the largest market for your exports,

the united states of america. and i'd add that this agreement is a win for our workers and the environment because of the strong protections it has for both. commitments that we are going to fulfill. so president santos, thank you for your partnership in getting this done. colombia's economic progress puts this nation on the path to join the ranks of developed nations. president santos has made it a goal to seek membership in the organization for economic cooperation and development and today i can announce that when colombia is seeking it, the united states will support the candidacy. [ applause ] moreover, we will actively encourage members to support colombia's membership which is a symbol of colombia's transformation. alongside our deeper cooperation, we're strengthening our security cooperation. the united states is proud to

stand with the colombia people and which took the lives of so many innocent civilians. i reaffirmed to president santos that the united states will continue to stand with colombia, shoulder to shoulder, as you work to end this conflict and build just and lasting peace. that includes the very ambitious reform agenda, including reparations for victims and land reform. this afternoon i look forward to joining president santos as he presents land titles to two communities, advancing the colombia that is just and equitable. as colombia grows stronger at home, it's playing a leadership role across the region. a third area where we're deepening our partnership. colombia has shared its security for latin america to afghanistan. today president santos and i agree that our two countries will work together to support our partners in central america

as they improve the security of their citizens. this is just one more example of how colombia is contributing to peace beyond its border including a member of the u.n. security council. i want to take this opportunity to salute colombian leadership, from supporting haiti, sanctions against iran, for standing up for the rights and freedoms for people in the middle east and north africa. and this week in brazil, we'll join nations from around the world in advancing the open government that empowers citizens and makes governments more accountable. and finally i'm very pleased that we're deepening the ties between our people. as it now stands, visas expire after five years as was just mentioned. i'm announcing that these visas are valid for ten years. this will make it easier for more colombians to visit and experience the united states and this is one more tangible

example of colombia's transformation and the difference between our two countries. thank you for your leadership and to the people of cartagena and for your great hospitality, the warm that you extend to the other leaders and others that gather here. it makes me very confident about colombia's future. [ applause ] >> bueno. well, there are some questions. i think rcn tv, juan carlos? >> good afternoon. president obama, today at the closing of the americas there was great expectation because we

never -- you never came up with a document that would reflect a decision and many people would say that cuba and the issue was not taken up as it should have. does this have to do in any way with the electoral environment and the content of the united states and to president santos, today the state department announced a new security plan for the region. what benefits do you see coming from this plan? thank you very much. >> well, first of all, what it reflects is a lack of con sen shus among those who participated in the summit. the issue of cuba, i've discussed before. since i came into office, we have made changes to our cuba policy. we've increased remittances that are permissible from cuban-americans sending money to their families to help support them back home. we've increased travel by family members to cuba. and we have discussed in the

ois, the pathway whereby cuba can fully participate in some of these regional forums. but the fact of the matter is cuba, unlike the other countries participating, has not yet moved to democracy. has not yet observed basic human rights. i am hopeful that a transition begins to take place inside of cuba. and i assure you that i and the american people will welcome the time when the cuban people have the freedom to live their lives, choose their leaders, and fully participate in this global economy and international institutions. we haven't gotten there yet. but as i indicated to president

santos and to all of the leaders sitting around the table, we recognize that there may be an opportunity in the coming years as cuba begins to look at where it needs to go in order to give its people the kind of prosperity and opportunity that it needs that it starts loosening up some of the constraints within that country. and that's something that we will welcome. i'm not somebody who brings to the table here a lot of baggage from the past. and i want to look at all these problems in a new and fresh way. but i also deeply believe in those principles that are contained, not just in the ois charter but in the united nation's charter that respect for individuals, respect for rule of law, respect for human rights that i think is part of the reason that we're seeing an

incredible transformation hit here in colombia. and in terms of themaldives, whatever your preferred term, our position on this is that we are going to remain neutral. we have good relations with argentina and great britain. and we're looking forward to them being able to continue to dialogue on the issue. but this is not something that we typically intervene in. >> translator: i would just like to repeat something that i said during the press conference this morning. early this afternoon, the important thing of the summit is we openly discuss all the issues. all issues. this didn't happen before. some issues garnered agreement.

others didn't. we reached an agreement on the five fundamental issues that were identified from the very outset. and the discussion on other issues was an open, candid discussion. it was fully respectful and productive, i would say. and that is why i believe that in the aftermath of this summit we will have a better understanding of these challenges. some will be solved in the short term. others in the long term. there are some that we won't be able to resolve. but that's only natural. and in summits such as these where 33 countries participate, each bringing their own interest. their own prism through which they look at things. but the positive thing is we discuss the issues candidly and

productively. a number of issues that were not on the table before. we have very close coordination and perhaps we don't have this close relationship with any other country in the world. we have learned mutually from each other. they have helped us a great deal. as i said before, this was launched a few years ago. and it's not just the amount of money that was up. it was the = of the existence. and to us, that was very important. and anybody thea we can do along that road to improve security in the united states and colombia and to share our experiences will be more than welcomed. >> thank you. both of you. president obama, little close there. following up on my colombian

colleague's question. he addressed what you face in the united states. could you address the issue of how big florida looms in terms of the united states' policy towards cuba? and i want to ask about the issue that's hung over the summit for the americans, is the controversy that involved members of the detail that is sworn to protect you. were you angry when you heard about this as you came here? and do you feel like this is indicative of any broader cultural problem within the secret service, such as the leading republican congressman suggested, and president santos, which president obama, you could address this as well. i'm curious to why you made drug trafficking a prominent part of the summit when it can be argued it detracted some from the attention you wanted to bring to

the great progress colombia has made on economic and security issues. thank you. >> well, first of all my position on cuba has been consistent. it hasn't waivered before i was elected for the president the first time. it didn't change after i was elected for president. it hasn't changed now. so let me repeat. separate and apart from whatever electoral concerns you're describing. i want the people of cuba, like people throughout this hemisphere, to have the opportunity to work, to raise their families, to start a business, to express themselves, to criticize their leaders. something that we in america don't take full advantage of. to replace them if they're not

working. which is the aspiration of most people throughout latin america. i am sometimes puzzled by the degree to which countries themselves have undergone enormous transformations that have known the oppression of dictatorships. or have found themselves on the wrong side of the ruling elite. and have suffered for it. why we would ignore that same principle here. but you know i tend to be an optimistic person. it's my hope as cuba looks at what's happening maybe there's a

new path take nn the 21st century. then we'll have a welcomed hand extended by the united states of america. on the secret service. these men and women perform extraordinary service on a day-to-day basis protecting me, my family, u.s. officials. they do very hard work under very stressful circumstances. # and almost invariably do an outstanding job. so i'm very grateful to the work that they do. what happened here in colombia is being investigated by the director of the secret service.

i expect the investigation to be thorough and rigorous. if it turns out the allegations that have been made in the press are confirmed, then of course i'll be angry. because my attitude with respect to the secret service personnel is no different than i expect out of my delegation sitting here. we're representing the people of the united states. and when we travel to another country, i expect to observe the highest standards. because we're not just representing ourselves. we're here on behalf of our people. and that means that we conduct ourselves with with the utmost dignity and probity. what's been reported doesn't match up with those standards.

again, i'll wait until the full investigation is completed before i pass final judgment. to the final point i'll make on the issue that you raised with president san toes about the issue of drug trafficking, i think it's holy appropriate to discuss this issue. a number of years dealing with this issue. it's been successful because of the courage and leadership not only because of president safos and his predecessors. also because of colombia security forces. now you have a number of countries in the region. in central america and in the caribbean that are smaller, that

have fewer resources and are starting to feel overwhelmed. and what's happening in mexico and the the violence taking place there as a consequence of these traffickers. so it wouldn't make sense for us not to examine what works and what doesn't and to constantly try to refine and ask ourselves is there something we can do to prevent violence? >> this is president obama wrapping up the two-day summit with a joint news conference with the president of a host country. they talked about a number of issues. cuba being one of them. a labor agreement, the other. also he responded to secret service allegations, hoping that they are not true.