Vice President Joe Biden is laying groundwork for the upcoming Summit of the Americas.
Biden just wrapped up meetings with South American presidents in Chile.
He told Central American presidents meeting in Costa Rica, that the Obama administration will not ignore Latin America - as many of them feel the Bush administration did.
Biden also addressed the economic downturn and the menace of drug cartels moving into the region.
President Obama will head to the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago starting April 17.