WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Brazil and Colombia from Dec. 31 to Jan. 2 to strengthen U.S. ties with the two countries as well as U.S. engagement in the region, authorities said Friday.
According to a statement issued by the U.S. State Department, Pompeo will lead a delegation to Brazil for the inauguration of President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, which will be held on Jan. 1, 2019.
Pompeo will also participate in a bilateral meeting with Bolsonaro and incoming Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo to discuss various bilateral and regional issues.
In Brazil's capital city of Brasilia, Pompeo is also scheduled to meet with Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra, said the statement.
Following his trip to Brazil, Pompeo will travel to the city of Cartagena, Colombia, to meet with Colombian President Ivan Duque.
"We seek to deepen our cooperation with Brazil and Colombia against transnational crime, including counter-narcotics, terrorism, and threats to international peace and security," said the statement.
Pompeo's upcoming trip also marks his fourth trip to Latin America in over half a year.
On the same day, a senior State Department official who wanted to remain anonymous told reporters that Pompeo would discuss regional issues with leaders of Brazil, Colombia, and Peru during his trip, particularly regarding Venezuela.
The Trump administration has been conducting a hard-line policy against Venezuela.
In early November, the United States imposed sanctions targeting Venezuela's gold exports, which are a significant source of money needed by the South American country to buy medicine and food.
Diosdado Cabello, the president of Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly, condemned the sanctions as "genocide against Venezuela."
Venezuela has recently been seeking to expand its cooperation with Russia on trade and security.
A senior Venezuelan official said in November that the two countries would start cooperation in the agricultural and mining sectors.
Earlier this month, a group of four Russian military aircraft -- two Tu-160 strategic bombers, a heavy An-124 military transport aircraft, and an Il-62 long-range aircraft -- landed in Venezuela after covering a distance of more than 10,000 km.
Pompeo characterized the landing as "two corrupt governments squandering public funds, and squelching liberty and freedom while their people suffer."
The Kremlin responded later on the same day, calling Pompeo's remarks "undiplomatic and inappropriate."
