The president’s tour of Latin America was too important to postpone, writes AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini in The Huffington Post.

El Salvador's President Mauricio Funes played host to his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama during the last leg of the American leader's Latin American tour. The two presidents spoke about how to create domestic potential to help young Salvadorans avoid migration and organized crime.

U.S. President Barack Obama told an audience in Rio that Brazil is a “thriving democracy” and a model for movements rising against authoritarian governments in the Middle East and North Africa.

President Barack Obama made the case for his first trip to South America before arriving by saying economic partnerships with the region will help secure U.S. jobs. In Brasilia, Obama met with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who called for a more multilateral world.

Central American security concerns were on the agenda during the U.S. president’s March 22 stop in San Salvador. His visit coincides with plans to bump up funding for the region’s struggle against rising gang-related violence.

"The United States faces a new moment in the Americas: no longer can we take economic partnership or political influence for granted," writes COA's Eric Farnsworth for The Huffington Post.

Senate Republicans ratcheted up pressure for passage of Colombia and Panama trade pacts this week, warning they would potentially block a commerce secretary appointment if the Obama administration does not usher through the deals.