US President Barack Obama on a 2-day visit to Argentian Wednesday March 23,2016

US President Barack Obama arrived in Argentina Wednesday March 23,2016 to reset diplomatic relations and strengthen trade ties with a country that was part of South America's left-wing bloc until pro-business President Mauricio Macri took power in December 2015

US President Barack Obama's 2-day visit marks a rapprochement after years of sour relations and is a sign of support for Macri's investor-friendly reforms aimed at opening up Latin America's third biggest economy.

US President Barack Obama and his family landed in Buenos Aires shortly after 1 a.m. and were met by Argentina's foreign minister, Susana Malcorra, before being whisked away to the US ambassador's residence

U.S. President Barack Obama with Argentine President Mauricio Macri in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday March 23,2016

The last US president to visit Argentina was George W. Bush, who attended the Summit of the Americas in 2005, when South America's leftist "Pink Tide" was in full flow and anti-US sentiment ran high across the region.

US President Barack Obama, Argentine President Mauricio Macri, US first lady Michelle Obama and Argentina’s first lady Juliana Awada pose for a photo before a state dinner in Buenos Aires, March 23, 2016

 Barack Obama Visits a memorial for the victims of Argentina's military dictatorship 
 
 President Barack Obama paid homage Thursday March 24,2016 to victims of Argentina's former US-backed dictatorship, admitting the United States was "slow to speak out for human rights" in those dark days.

 

Obama became the first US president to formally acknowledge the victims of the 1976-1983 military regime, which declassified documents have revealed was supported by top US officials

Presidents Obama and Macri throw flowers into the River Plate in honour of the victims of Argentina's "Dirty War" 

"There's been controversy about the policies of the United States early in those dark days, and the United States, when it reflects on what happened here, has to examine its own policies as well, and its own past," Obama said

 Obama spoke at Remembrance Park, a monument in Buenos Aires to the 30,000 people who were killed or went missing under the dictatorship. He paid tribute to victims' families.

"Democracies have to have the courage to acknowledge when we don't live up to the ideals that we stand for; when we've been slow to speak out for human rights. And that was the case here."