List of United States presidential visits to Central America

Eleven United States presidents and three presidents-elect have made thirty-four presidential visits to Central America. The first visit by an incumbent president to a country in Central America was made in 1906 by Theodore Roosevelt. The trip, to Panama, was the first international presidential trip in U.S. history, and signaled the start of a new era in how presidents conducted diplomatic relations with other countries. In 1928, Herbert Hoover, during the time when he was president-elect, visited the region during his historic "good will" trip, to Central and South America.

The number of visits made to each country in the region are: 12 to Panama, seven to Costa Rica, five to El Salvador, four to Honduras, three to Guatemala, and three to Nicaragua. Only Belize has not been visited by an American president.

Table of visits President Dates Country Locations Key details Theodore Roosevelt November 14–17, 1906 Colón,Panama City Inspected Panama Canal construction. William H. Taft January 29 – Colón,Panama City Inspected Panama Canal construction and met with President José Domingo de Obaldía. (Visit made as President-elect.) Warren G. Harding November 24, 1920 Colón,Baihos Informal tour of Panama Canal. (Visit made as President-elect.)Herbert Hoover November 26, 1928 Amapala Met with President-elect Vicente Mejía Colindres and Foreign Minister Augusto Coello. (Visit made as President-elect.) November 26, 1928 Cutuco Met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Martínez Suárez. (Visit made as President-elect.) November 27, 1928 Corinto Met with President Adolfo Díaz and President-elect José María Moncada. (Visit made as President-elect.) November 28, 1928 San José Met with President Cleto González Víquez. (Visit made as President-elect.)Franklin D. Roosevelt July 11–12, 1934 Panama City Informal visit. October 16, 1935Balboa Informal visit with President Harmodio Arias Madrid. August 4–5, 1938 Informal visit with President Juan Demóstenes Arosemena. February 27, 1940 Cristóbal,Balboa Met informally with President Augusto Samuel Boyd. Dwight D. Eisenhower July 21–23, 1956 Panama City Attended a meeting of the Presidents of the American Republics. John F. Kennedy March 18–20, 1963 San Jose Attended Conference of Presidents of the Central American Republics.Lyndon B. Johnson July 8, 1968 San Salvador Attended meeting of the Presidents of Central American Republics. July 8, 1968 Managua Informal visit; met with President Anastasio Somoza Debayle. July 8, 1968 San José Informal visit; met with President José Joaquín Trejos Fernández. July 8, 1968 San Pedro Sula Informal visit; met with President Oswaldo López Arellano. July 8, 1968 Guatemala City Informal visit; met with President Julio César Méndez Montenegro. Jimmy Carter June 16–17, 1978 Panama City Invited by President Demetrio B. Lakas and General Omar Torrijos to sign protocol confirming exchange of documents ratifying the Panama Canal treaties. Also met informally with Presidents Carlos Andrés Pérez of Venezuela, Alfonso López Michelsen of Colombia, José López Portillo of Mexico, Rodrigo Carazo Odio of Costa Rica, and Prime Minister Michael Manley of Jamaica.Ronald Reagan December 3–4, 1982 San José Official working visit; met with President Luis Alberto Monge and President Álvaro Magaña of El Salvador. December 4, 1982 San Pedro Sula Official working visit; met with President Roberto Suazo Córdova and with Guatemalan President Efraín Ríos Montt.George H. W. Bush October 27–28, 1989 San José Attended Hemispheric Summit Meeting. June 11, 1992 Panama City Met with President Guillermo Endara and delivered public addresses.Bill Clinton May 7–9, 1997 San José Attended a Summit Meeting of Presidents of the Central American Republics.March 8, 1999 Managua,Posoltega,El Porvenir Discussed reconstruction aid with President Arnoldo Alemán and visited the El Porvenir Maya city site. March 8–9, 1999 Soto Cano Air Base,Tegucigalpa Discussed reconstruction aid with President Carlos Roberto Flores; addressed U.S. military personnel. March 10, 1999 San Salvador Met with President Armando Calderón Sol and Addressed the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador. March 10–11, 1999 Guatemala City,Antigua Attended Central American Summit meeting with leaders of seven Central American and Caribbean nations.George W. Bush March 24, 2002 San Salvador Attended a summit meeting with Central American heads of state.November 6–7, 2005 Panama City Met with President Martín Torrijos. March 11–12, 2007 Guatemala City,Santa Cruz del Quiché,Santa Cruz Balanyá,Iximche Informal visit; met with President Óscar Berger. Visited Iximche archaeological site.Barack Obama March 22–23, 2011 San Salvador Met with President Mauricio Funes. May 3–4, 2013 San José Met with President Laura Chinchilla and leaders of the Central American Integration System. April 10–11, 2015 Panama City Attended the 7th Summit of the Americas.

See also Latin America–United States relations Foreign relations of the United States

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