Photo of President Clinton Departing For His Four-Day Trip To Central AmericaMap Showing Places the President Will Visit

On March 8, President Clinton will arrive in Managua, Nicaragua to begin his four day tour of Central America. Upon arriving in Managua, the President will be greeted by President and Mrs. Aleman of Nicaragua in a brief arrival ceremony in which the two leaders will review an honor guard.

After the arrival ceremony, the President will travel to the Casita Volcano Area near Posoltega. Here the President will survey the devastation wrought by Hurricane Mitch and honor the victims of the catastrophe with the dedication of a plaque.

Posoltega is the site of the single worst Mitch-related disaster -- an enormous mudslide that left some 2,000 dead and thousands homeless. Today, the only signs that communities ever existed here are a single, badly-damaged house, scattered pieces of clothing, and the shallow graves of humans and animals spread throughout the area. The path of the mudslide covers over 60 square miles. No signs remain of the torrent that swept away the communities en route to the sea, some 25 miles away.

The President will then address the people of Nicaragua in a speech at Jose Dolores Toruna High School in Posoltega. In his remarks, he will reaffirm U.S. support for relief and reconstruction efforts in the wake of Hurricane Mitch. The Jose Dolores Toruno Lopez High School is a 60-year-old public institution serving several Posoltega settlements, including the two that washed away. Twenty students were killed during the mudslide, and an additional sixty lost their parents.

After his remarks to the Nicaraguan people, the President will meet with survivors to discuss the impact the Hurricane Mitch has had on their lives and the ways in which they have adapted and are recovering from the storm.

The President flies to San Salvador, El Salvador to spend the night before traveling to Honduras on Tuesday morning.

March 9
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March 11