List of diplomatic visits to the United States from South America

International trips made by the heads of state and heads of government to the United States have become a valuable part of American diplomacy and international relations since such trips were first made in the mid-19th century. They are complicated undertakings that often require months of planning along with a great deal of coordination and communication.

The first international visit to the United States was made by King Kalakaua of Hawaii in 1874, which was the first visit by a foreign chief of state or head of government.Visits By Foreign Leaders of Hawaii U.S.Department of State Office of the Historian

The first South American head of state to visit the United States was Emperor Pedro II of Brazil in 1876.

Argentina +Table of TripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Argentina U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianStartEndGuestTitleReasonJanuary 20, 1959January 23, 1959Arturo FrondiziPresidentState visit. In U.S. January 19 – February 1, visited Miami, Houston, Chicago, Detroit, and New York City. Addressed U.S. Congress January 21.September 26, 1961September 26, 1961Met with President Kennedy in New York City while attending UN General Assembly session.December 24, 1961December 24, 1961Met with President Kennedy at Palm Beach. In U.S. December 21–25; visiting Honolulu and New Orleans.September 6, 1977September 9, 1977Jorge Rafael VidelaAttended signing of the Panama Canal Treaty.March 15, 1981March 118, 1981Roberto ViolaPrivate visit. Met with President Reagan March 17.August 23, 1984August 23, 1984Raúl AlfonsínPrivate visit. Met with President Reagan at U.N. General Assembly reception in New York City.March 18, 1985March 20, 1985State Visit. In U.S. March 17–25; visited Williamsburg, New York City, Chicago, Albuquerque, and Houston. Addressed Joint Meeting of U.S. Congress March 20.November 16, 1986November 17, 1986Private Visit. Met with President Reagan November 17.September 27, 1989September 27, 1989Carlos MenemMet with President Bush during a private visit.October 1, 1990October 1, 1990Met with President Bush at the U.N. General Assembly.November 13, 1991November 16, 1991State Visit. Addressed Joint Meeting of U.S Congress on November 14. June 28, 1993June 30, 1993Met with President Clinton during a private visit.June 24, 1994June 24, 1994December 9, 1994December 11, 1994Attended the Summit of the Americas in MiamiDecember 4–5, 1996December 4–5, 1996Met with President Clinton during a private visit.January 11, 1999January 12, 1999State VisitSeptember 21, 1999September 21, 1999Met with President Clinton during a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.June 12, 2000June 14, 2000Fernando de la RuaOfficial working visit.April 19, 2001April 19, 2001Working visit.November 11, 2001November 11, 2001Met with President Bush at the UN General Assembly in New York City.July 22, 2003July 23, 2003Nestor KirchnerWorking visit.November 14, 2008November 15, 2008Cristina Fernandez de KirchnerAttended the G-20 Economic Summit meeting.September 24, 2009September 25, 2009Attended the G-20 Economic Summit meeting in Pittsburgh.April 12, 2010April 13, 2010Attended the Nuclear Security Summit.March 31, 2016April 1, 2016Mauricio MacriAttended the Nuclear Security Summit.April 27, 2017April 27, 2017Working luncheon.June 8, 2022June 10, 2022Alberto FernándezAttended the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California.March 29, 2023March 29, 2023Working Visit.January 20, 2025January 20, 2025Javier MileiInvited to the presidential inaugurationOctober 14, 2025October 14, 2025Working Visit.February 19, 2026February 19, 2026To attend the first meeting of the Board of Peace.

Bolivia

+Table of TripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Bolivia U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianStartEndGuestTitleReasonMay 5, 1943May 9, 1943Enrique PeñarandaPresidentGuest of the President. In U.S. May 4–21, visiting Detroit, Buffalo and West Point, and New York City.October 22, 1963October 24, 1963Víctor Paz EstenssoroState visit. In U.S. October 21–28, visited Williamsburg and New York City.July 5, 1968July 6, 1968René BarrientosInformal visit at LBJ Ranch, and Bolivia Day ceremonies in San AntonioSeptember 6, 1977September 9, 1977Hugo BanzerAttended signing of the Panama Canal Treaty.September 25, 1989September 25, 1989Jaime Paz ZamoraMet with President Bush at the U.N. General Assembly.May 7, 1990May 9, 1990Official working visit. Private visit to Miami afterwards.February 26, 1992February 27, 1992Attended Drug Summit in San AntonioDecember 9, 1994December 11, 1994Gonzalo Sanchez de LozadaAttended the Summit of the Americas in MiamiSeptember 8, 2000September 8, 2000Hugo BanzerMet with President Clinton at the UN Millennium Summit in New York City.December 6, 2001December 6, 2001Jorge QuirogaWorking visit.November 9, 2002November 14, 2002Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada

Brazil +Table of TripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Brazil U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianStartEndGuestTitleReasonMay 7, 1876May 11, 1876Pedro IIEmperorVisited U.S. April 15 – July 12, covering over 9,000 miles. Second-ever state visit to the United States and the first of a country that did not later become part of the United States. Traveled from New York City to San Francisco, to New Orleans, and to Boston. Revisited Washington, D.C.June 2; attended the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia June 20–25.June 21, 1919June 25, 1919Epitácio PessoaPresidentIn U.S. June 20–27; visited New York City.June 11, 1930June 15, 1930Júlio PrestesOfficially returned President-elect Hoover's visit. In U.S. June 11–20, visiting New York City, West Point, and Philadelphia.May 18, 1949May 21, 1949Eurico Gaspar DutraOfficial guest. Discussed economic cooperation. Addressed U.S. Congress May 19. Afterwards visited New York City and Chattanooga and Nashville. Departed U.S. May 27.January 5, 1956January 6, 1956Juscelino KubitschekMet with President Eisenhower at Key West and with other officials in Washington, D.C. Afterwards visited New York City. Departed U.S. January 9.April 3, 1962April 5, 1962João GoulartOfficial visit. Afterwards visited New York City, Omaha and Chicago. Departed U.S. April 8.January 25, 1967January 28, 1967Artur da Costa e SilvaInformal visit. In U.S. January 18–31; visited Honolulu, Los Angeles, Cape Kennedy, and New York CityDecember 6, 1971December 9, 1971Emílio Garrastazu MédiciState visit.May 11, 1982May 13, 1982João FigueiredoState visit. Private visit afterwards to Cleveland.January 31, 1985February 3, 1985Tancredo NevesPrivate visit. Met with President Reagan February 1.September 9, 1986September 11, 1986José SarneyState Visit; visited New York City (September 12–13). Addressed Joint Meeting of U.S. Congress September 11.September 25, 1989September 25, 1989Met with President Bush at the U.N. General Assembly.January 26, 1990January 26, 1990Fernando Collor de MelloPrivate visit.September 30, 1990September 30, 1990Met with President Bush at the U.N. General Assembly.July 17, 1991July 20, 1991State Visit. Afterwards visited New York City.September 23, 1991September 23, 1991Met with President Bush at the U.N. General Assembly.December 9, 1994December 9, 1994Itamar FrancoAttended the Summit of the Americas in MiamiApril 19, 1995April 22, 1995Fernando Henrique CardosoState Visit.July 6, 1998July 8, 1998Met with President Clinton during a private visit.May 8, 1999May 10, 1999Private visit.March 29, 2001April 1, 2001Working visit.November 8, 2001November 8, 2001Met with President Bush during a private visit.December 9, 2002December 10, 2002Luiz Inácio Lula da SilvaWorking visit.July 19, 2003July 20, 2003March 30, 2006March 31, 2006Working visit. Met with President Bush at Camp David.September 24, 2007September 24, 2007Met with President Bush at the UN General Assembly in New York City.November 14, 2008November 15, 2008Attended the G-20 Economic Summit meeting.March 14, 2009March 14, 2009Working visit.September 24, 2009September 25, 2009Attended the G-20 Economic Summit in PittsburghApril 12, 2010April 13, 2010Attended the Nuclear Security Summit.September 20, 2011September 20, 2011Dilma RousseffMet with President Obama at the UN General Assembly in New York City.April 9, 2012April 9, 2012Working visit.June 29, 2015June 30, 2015Official Working visit.March 17, 2019March 19, 2019Jair BolsonaroFebruary 10, 2023February 10, 2023Luiz Inácio Lula da SilvaSeptember 20, 2023September 20, 2023Met with President Biden at the UN General Assembly Meeting in New York City.May 7, 2026May 7, 2026Working visit.

Chile

+Table of TripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Chile U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianStartEndGuestTitleReasonAugust 6, 1910August 6, 1910Pedro MonttPresidentVisited President Taft in Beverly while en route to Europe for health reasons. In U.S. August 4–9.October 15, 1945October 11, 1945Juan Antonio Ríos MoralesOfficial visit. In U.S. October 9 – November 1. Afterward visited New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.April 12, 1950April 15, 1950Gabriel González VidelaAt invitation of the President. Also visited New York City, Philadelphia, Tennessee, Texas, and New Orleans. Departed U.S. May 3.December 11, 1962December 13, 1962Jorge Alessandri RodríguezPresidential guest. In U.S. December 10–17, visiting Miami, Philadelphia, and New York City.September 6, 1977September 9, 1977Augusto PinochetAttended signing of the Panama Canal Treaty.October 2, 1990October 2, 1990Patricio AylwinMet with President Bush during a private visit.May 12, 1992May 15, 1992State Visit.June 27, 1994June 28, 1994Eduardo Frei Ruiz-TagleOfficial working visit.December 9, 1994December 11, 1994Attended the Summit of the Americas in MiamiFebruary 25, 1997February 28, 1997State Visit. Addressed a joint session of Congress.April 15, 2001April 16, 2001Ricardo LagosWorking visit.July 18, 2004July 19, 2004June 8, 2006June 9, 2006Michelle BacheletSeptember 24, 2008September 24, 2008Met with President Bush at the Council of the Americas in New York City.June 23, 2009June 23, 2009Working Visit.April 12, 2010April 13, 2010Sebastián PiñeraAttended the Nuclear Security Summit.November 10, 2011November 13, 2011Attended the Asia-Pacific Economic and Cooperation Summit at Honolulu and Kapolei, Hawaii.June 2, 2013June 4, 2013Working Visit.June 30, 2014June 30, 2014Michelle BacheletWorking Visit.March 31, 2016April 1, 2016Attended the Nuclear Security Summit.September 28, 2018September 28, 2018Sebastián PiñeraWorking Visit.June 8, 2022June 10, 2022Gabriel BoricAttended the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California.November 2, 2023November 2, 2023Met with President Biden for a bilateral meeting alongside the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Summit Meeting.November 3, 2023November 3, 2023Attended the APEP Leaders' Summit.November 12, 2023November 17, 2023Attended the APEC Leaders' Summit at San Francisco, California.

Colombia