The Colombian foreign minister confirmed that Obama will arrive on Friday, Chavez will assist and Pinera will be the first to arrive.

In a new step to catch up with the demands to be met by Colombia for the entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, the plenary of the Senate and House approved three key bills that will be presented this weekend to President Barack Obama at the Summit of the Americas.

Colombia's largest coal producer, Cerrejon, plans to spend around 50-60 percent of a $1.3 billion expansion budget on construction and the rest on equipment, its president said on Wednesday.