On August 7, Prime Minister Stephen Harper departs on a four country working visit to South and Central America. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is greeted by Jamal Khokhar, Ambassador of Canada to Brazil, on arrival in Brasília, Brazil. On August 8, Prime Minister Stephen Harper inspects an honour guard during an official welcoming ceremony on his arrival at the Planalto Palace in Brasília, Brazil. Stephen Harper and Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil, have a bilateral meeting at the Planalto Palace. They take part into a signing ceremony to facilitate trade, tourism and investment. They hold a joint news conference following the signing ceremony. Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrives at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasília, Brazil, and has an official luncheon with Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil. Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks to embassy staff in Brasília, Brazil. Prime Minister Stephen Harper hosts a meeting with Canadian business leaders in Brasília, Brazil. On August 9, Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrives at the Palacio dos Bandeirantes in São Paulo, Brazil. Geraldo Alckmin, Governor of São Paulo, hosts a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Prime Minister Stephen Harper hosts a roundtable with Canadian businesses in Brazil at the Hilton Morumbi Hotel in São Paulo. Stephen Harper plays a drum during a Capoeira demonstration at the Casa São José in São Paulo, Brazil. On August 10, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Edward Fast, Minister of International Trade, host a roundtable discussion with Canadian and Colombian businesses in Bogotá, Colombia. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is greeted by Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, President of Colombia, at the Casa de Narino in Bogotá, where they have a tête-à-tête meeting. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, President of Colombia, hold an expanded meeting with government officials at the Casa de Narino. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, greet local residents in Soacha, one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Bogotá, Colombia. Prime Minister Stephen Harper tours the Soacha Youth Development Centre. On August 11, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is joined by Edward Fast, Minister of International Trade, John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas) for a breakfast roundtable discussion with business leaders and Canadian investors in San José, Costa Rica. Prime Minister Stephen tours the National Police Academy in San José, Costa Rica. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is greeted by Laura Chinchilla Miranda, the President of Costa Rica, on his arrival at the Presidencia in San José, Costa Rica, where they have an expanded bilateral meeting. They witness the signing of agreements on the exchange of information on tax matters and air transport at the Presidencia. Prime Minister Stephen Harper answers questions from the media during a press conference. Prime Minister Stephen Harper tours the Castillo Country Club in San José, Costa Rica. On August 12, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is greeted by Porfirio Lobo Sosa, President of Honduras, on his arrival in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. They have a bilateral meeting at the ExpoCentro in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. They look on as Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade shakes hands with his counterpart following a signing ceremony at the ExpoCentro. Prime Minister Stephen Harper tours a garment manufacturing facility in San Pedro Sula, Honduras with Porfirio Lobo Sosa, President of Honduras, and the company vice president of manufacturing Benito Masi. Prime Minister Stephen Harper pauses on the stairs of the Airbus for a photo with his communications director Dimitri Soudas in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Ray Novak, Dimitri Soudas, Jeremy Hunt, Sara MacIntyre and Andrea McGuigan share a laugh after the media pulled a prank on Dimitri Soudas on his last international trip in the Prime Minister's Office. The following people are also depicted in the photographs: Jamal Khokhar, Dilma Rousseff, Ed Fast, Diane Ablonczy, Rona Ambrose, John Baird, Stephen Staley, Dimitri Soudas, Luiz Arawo, Geraldo Alckmin, Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, Laura Chinchilla, Ray Novak, Jeremy Hunt, Sara MacIntyre, Andrea McGuigan, Cameron MacKay.
