Obama names dates for Brazil, Chile, El Salvador trip

[Judi Lynn]

Obama names dates for Brazil, Chile, El Salvador trip
– Fri Feb 18, 5:29 pm ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama on Friday named the dates for his trip to Brazil, Chile and El Salvador, saying his first visit to South America will take place between March 19 and 23.

Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will travel to Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago and San Salvador on the trip, designed to highlight economic and trade issues and energy and security cooperation.

"The trip will provide an opportunity to engage key bilateral partners, to highlight the president?s engagement with the hemisphere, and to advance our efforts to work as equal partners to address the basic challenges facing the people of the Americas," Obama spokesman Jay Carney said.

The White House has not so far announced dates for individual legs of the trip.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110218/pl_afp/uspoliticsdiplomacyobamasamerica

[rabs]

1. Argentina is left out

which has pissed off Buenos Aires. But considering the tense relations between Baires and Washington, maybe it was for the better.

Argentina is still pissed that Hillary requested information on whether Cristina was nuts, that the U.S. Embassy claimed her late husband Nestor was corrupt, that about 50 officials of her government were also labeled corrupt, and now the latest flap, the U.S. Air Force plane that landed at Ezeiza this month with unauthorized weapons, electronic equipment and some undeclared drugs.

None of those items were on the official manifest handed to Argentine customs officials. Now the U.S. is demanding that the items be returned, and Argentina says NO.

That obama is going to Chile is understandable, considering that country is now being run by a CEO.

El Salvador? To see Funes, a leftist?

Guess it is to show the flag in CentAm more than anything.