Local, hemispheric issues on table at Americas Summit Western Hemisphere leaders arriving at Cartagena, Colombia, for sixth Summit of the Americas Leaders of some Latin American nations are hoping to challenge U.S. priorities Colombian president says Latin America wants to draw U.S. attention toward region U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to arrive Friday afternoon Cartagena, Colombia (CNN) -- Regional summits are most often perfunctory events where presidents share their visions, sign agreements and pose for photographs. At the sixth Summit of the Americas, some Latin American leaders hope to sway -- or at least challenge -- the priorities of the hemisphere's largest power, the United States. The leaders of some Latin American countries are expected to challenge the conventional wisdom that the way to deal with illegal drug trafficking is with firepower. Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina and others are offering serious alternatives, such as legalization. As the host, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said Friday that Latin America wants to pull Washington's attention toward the region. The United States needs to realize that its long-term interests are not in places like Afghanistan, but in Latin America, Santos said. Presidents from the Western Hemisphere continued to arrive Friday in the coastal Colombian city of Cartagena, ahead of several days of discussions on such topics. While the balance of power between the United States and the rest of the hemisphere will be a certain talking point, Santos also laid out an agenda for Latin American countries to tackle among themselves. There is no dogma or specific type of government that can ensure development, Santos said. It takes a moderate approach in the mold of leaders such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair or former American President Bill Clinton who governed from the middle. Some recent Latin American leaders, such as Ricardo Lagos of Chile and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, advanced their nations by also following the centrist, so-called Third Way. "If we play our cards right, with a long-term vision, and thinking big, being ambitious, we can finally say ... that the future is here," Santos said. U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to arrive Friday afternoon. On a quick visit to Tampa ahead of his flight to Cartagena, Obama spoke with small-business owners about his own agenda. "In Latin America alone in the last decade, tens of millions of people have stepped into the middle class," he said. That means they have more money to spend, we want them to spend more money on American-made goods. "While I am in Colombia talking to other leaders, I am going think about you," Obama added. I want to sell our stuff and put Americans back to work. The goal of the summit is to "unite against the ills of the 21st century. Like poverty, terrorism and global warming," Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said. And also, to unite to achieve the great goal that America has to conquer -- and it is the responsibility of our generation -- to make America a developed continent without poverty, with opportunity for all. More than 7,600 police officers and thousands more troops are set to be deployed in the walled colonial city as part of stepped-up security for the summit, which started Monday with a youth conference. The summit has brought a different vibe to the tourist destination. The number of tourists has dropped tremendously this week, locals said. Tourism has fallen by "90%," street vendor Alcides Escobar said. Who we have here is just people from the summit and their security. CNN's John Helton contributed to this report.