The White House announced on Tuesday that Donald Trump will not travel to South America this week as planned.

Trump had been due to attend the Summit of the Americas in Lima and travel to Bogotá, Colombia, as well. Vice-President Mike Pence will make the trip in his stead. It would been Trump’s first visit to Latin America as president. A statement issued by the White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, said: “At the president’s request, the Vice-President will travel in his stead. The president will remain in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world.”

On Monday, Trump said a decision about a US response to a chemical weapons attack in Syria was imminent. Speaking to reporters at the White House, he said: “We’re making decisions as to what we do with respect to the horrible attack that was made near Damascus. And it will be met. And it will be met forcefully. When I will not say because I don’t like talking about timing.” In April 2017, the US launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Syria in response to a chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime. Trump made the decision while entertaining Chinese President Xi Jinping at his private club in Florida.(theguardian)…[+]