WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell plans a series of meetings with Latin American leaders during this week's visit to Panama.
Powell plans to attend Wednesday's inauguration of Panamanian President Martin Torrijos.
"He'll have meetings with the Panamanians, with some of the other leaders who are down there at the time," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.
A senior State Department official, who asked not to be identified, said Powell would hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of Panama, Dominican Republic, Colombia and Haiti.
Powell heads to Panama as the country is embroiled in a dispute with Cuba over a pardon granted by outgoing President Mireya Moscoso to four Cuban exiles alleged to have tried to kill Cuban President Fidel Castro at the Ibero American Summit in Panama in 2000. Three of the men were U.S. citizens.
Cuba has cut ties with Panama over the incident.
Torrijos is the son of Omar Torrijos, the former populist dictator who had close ties to Castro.
