On his third day in Central America, the President will travel to San Salvador, El Salvador, where he will deliver a major address to legislators from El Salvador and other regional leaders at the Legislative Assembly building. His speech will focus on Central America' s continued transformation into a region of strong, stable and prosperous democracies with whom the United States is expanding trade and investment, and deepening cooperation to combat the shared threats of drug trafficking, corruption, and illegal migration.

The Legislative Assembly is an eight-story building where the legislature meets. The legislative chamber is popularly called the Blue Room, and was dedicated on November 5, 1974, during the presidency of Dr. Ruben Alfonso Rodriguez. Large portraits of two national heroes hang in the Blue Room. Dr. Jose Simeon Canas (1767-1838), a priest and lawyer, was one of the leaders of El Salvador' s independence movement from Spain. He was also active in the struggle to abolish slavery in ElSalvador. Dr.Jose Matias Delgado (1787-1832) also had a prominent role in the independence movement and served as the first President of El Salvador. He was inaugurated in November 1821.

After the speech, the President will travel to Guatemala, arriving at Guatemala City Airport Wednesday afternoon. He will be greeted by President and Mrs. Arzu in a brief ceremony upon arrival.

Following the arrival ceremony in Guatamala City, the President will hold a roundtable discussion on that country progress towards achieving peace. The United States actively supported the U.N. mediation effort that negotiated a final peace accord ending Guatemala' s 36-year civil war in 1996. This peace accord ended violence and restored hope to Guatemala, and launched its transformation into a stable, democratic nation poised to take advantage of new opportunities for hemispheric trade and development.

The President will spend the night in Antigua, Guatemala.

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