President Hipolito Mejia starts a seven-day tour of South America tomorrow. He will visit Uruguay, Argentina and Chile. Last month he was in Peru. The President will participate in the Group of Rio Summit scheduled for Santiago, Chile. On his agenda is the signing of several cooperation agreements. The National Palace said he will depart on a private jet from the San Isidro Air Base with First Lady Rosa Gomez and his son Ramon Hipolito Mejia. Others accompanying the President are Minister of Foreign Relations Hugo Tolentino Dipp and his wife Sarah Bermudez, press spokesman Luis Gonzalez Fabra, director of the Foreign Investment Promotion Office Danilo Rosario. Special guests of the President are businessmen Ramon Menendez and Miguel Feris. Prior to his departure, the President is scheduled to speak to the nation at 9 pm on Channel 4 on how his government plans to reduce the long power outages affecting the nation. The President will not have time to deliver the traditional Presidential Address normally given on the first anniversary of taking office. As a result of his trip, his cabinet ministers also did not present their reports to Congress.
