White House officials say U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the Summit of the Americas in Peru this April.
Officials in the United States and Peru on Friday told media outlets in both countries that Trump has confirmed his intention to attend the summit.
The regional summit, which began in 1994, is seen as the leading forum for the United States to influence events across the region.
The decision ends speculation that tense relations between the United States and some of its southern neighbors could cause Trump to skip the summit.
Trump has been critical of Latin American policies over drugs and trade and has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration from the region to the United States.
This year’s Summit of the Americas will be held in Lima, Peru, from April 13-14.
The gathering has generated controversy surrounding Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Peruvian leaders have repeatedly said Maduro is not invited to the summit because of his increasingly autocratic government, but Maduro said recently he is determined to attend.
The last Summit of the Americas took place in Panama in 2015, when then-President Barack Obama used the opportunity to meet Cuban leader Raul Castro for the first time.
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