Clinton plans to visit Latin American countries soon

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Published: MAY 14, 2009 00:46
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday she will travel to Latin America in coming weeks to further US goals in the region where she recently expressed concern about inroads by Iran, Russia and China. Clinton will visit El Salvador to attend the June 1 inauguration of Salvadoran president-elect Mauricio Funes and then Honduras where she will participate in the June 2-3 annual general assembly of the Organization of American States, she said. The trip will be a follow-on to last month's Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago at which President Barack Obama said his administration was willing to pursue more positive relations with all nations in the Western Hemisphere. On May 1, Clinton told State Department employees that the growing influence of China and Iran in Latin American countries is "quite disturbing" and that "they are building strong economic and political connections with a lot of these leaders. I don't think that's in our interest."