Colombia/Peru: US President Trump cancels April 13-15 visits /update 1

Event

On Tuesday, April 10, US President Donald Trump canceled a planned visit to Lima (Peru) initially scheduled for Friday, April 13, and Saturday, April 14, on the occasion of the annual Summit of the Americas conference. He also canceled a visit to Colombia scheduled for after the event, on April 15.

Nevertheless, security will remain tight throughout Lima during the summit and associated transportation disruptions are to be expected due to the many foreign dignitaries in attendance.

Context

According to official sources, the president will remain in Washington, DC, to oversee a response to recent events in Syria.

President Trump has had a rocky relationship with countries in Latin America over his time in office, taking controversial actions such as: threatening to decertify Colombia from its list of partner nations in the war on drugs in September 2017; planning to build a border wall separating the US from Latin American immigrants; and establishing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. White House officials had previously stated the trip would demonstrate the US resolve in deepening historical ties to partners in the region and strengthen the joint commitment to improve security throughout the Americas.

Advice

Individuals in Peru are advised to remain vigilant and to expect increased security measures and travel delays.