There is no question that we have challenges ahead of us

President George W Bush

Correspondents say it was at least a partial response to people who have been protesting outside the summit venue against what they regard as the excesses of free trade.

They say the message by anti-globalisation campaigners that free trade harms the environment and the poor has been heard as loudly as the diplomacy inside the summit.

'Democratic order'

The meeting was held against a backdrop of violence, which saw groups of demonstrators fighting running battles with riot police firing water cannon and tear gas.

Other demonstrations passed off peacefully with about 30,000 campaigners marching through the streets in a trouble-free protest on Saturday.

Leaders said they would listen to the protesters' concerns

The city was mainly quiet as the summit ended.

Speaking at a press conference ending the meeting, President George Bush praised the summit as "very successful".

"There is no question in my mind that we have challenges ahead of us. Also, there is no question that we can meet those challenges," he added.

The final statement warned that "unconstitutional alteration or interruption of the democratic order" would exclude countries from participation in the planned scheme.

Ambitious plan

We are committed to making this the century of the Americas

End of summit statement

The leaders also pledged to "spare no effort to free our fellow citizens from the dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty."

The statement also committed governments to strengthening "environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources with a view to ensuring a balance between economic development, social development and the protection of the environment, as these are interdependent and mutually reinforcing."

The proposed free trade area would eliminate trade barriers from the northern reaches of Canada to Cape Horn in Chile, and become the largest trading bloc in the world once implemented.

Cuba stands to be the only nation excluded from the area - as it was from the summit - singled out because of its lack of free elections.