WASHINGTON, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The White House said on Saturday that U.S. President Donald Trump will travel to Peru and Colombia next month in his maiden visit to Latin America.
In a statement, the White House said that Trump will attend the Summit of the Americas in the Peruvian capital city of Lima and meet with President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.
In Colombia, Trump will meet with his counterpart Juan Manuel Santos.
In his first trip to Latin America, Trump is expected to participate in a series of bilateral, multilateral, and cultural engagements, according to the statement.
It added that Trump will take the visit to demonstrate his "resolve to deepen our historical ties with our partners in the region and to strengthen our joint commitment to improve security and prosperity for the people of the Americas," and to promote "strong democracies, fair and reciprocal trade, and secure borders."
The visit came after Trump reportedly called Latin American nations as "shithole countries" in an immigration meeting in January, sparking wide protests in the region.
The U.S.-Latin America ties have also been tested by Trump's proposal to build a wall on the Mexican border, his order to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, and some Latin American nations' joining of a regional trade deal, from which Washington withdrew in January 2017.