The U.S. Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy is set to lead a delegation of business executives to Central America next week.
A statement issued Wednesday by the State Department says Karen Hughes will be accompanied by chief executives of major U.S companies such as PepsiCo and JPMorgan Private Bank.
The delegation will visit Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, where a series of natural disasters damaged economies in the region.
The trip aims to encourage private sector assistance for reconstruction efforts in the area.
President Bush has asked the business leaders to see U.S. assistance efforts already underway.
The trip will last December 4 to December 6.
