US President Donald Trump will take his first major trip to South America later this week to advocate for stronger economic ties in the region. However, the leaders he meets are are likely to just “smile and nod” with the massively unpopular US leader and achieve little in the way of new policies.

The president will attend the Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru, on 13 and 14 April where he will face some of the countries he has derided repeatedly over immigration and drug policies. The president is “profoundly unpopular”, making it difficult for other leaders to work with him, said Mark Feierstein, who worked on hemispheric issues for President Barack Obama’s White House. However, as one diplomat said, “no leaders are losing sleep over” Mr Trump, adding: “We all know how to smile and nod along, so we’re not too worried.”

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has made clear that President Trump sees the trip as one aimed at unity. “This travel demonstrates the president’s resolve to deepen our historical ties with our partners in the region and to strengthen our joint commitment to improve security and prosperity for the people of the Americas”. But there may be some tough talk from Mr Trump. The White House statement stressed “that the promise of a safe and prosperous future rests in strong democracies”, alluding to the crisis in Venezuela.

Governments around the world have criticised Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro for not allowing a democratic transition to a new administration amid a crumbling economy that has led to skyrocketing inflation and shortages of food and medicine. There have been some economic measures from the EU and neighbouring countries, but they have done little to force Mr Maduro’s hand.

The US has also threatened to sanction or ban Venezuelan oil imports, possibly further crippling the country’s economy. The US is currently imposing harsh sanctions on Venezuela – the third-largest oil supplier to the US – including its state-owned oil company PDVSA.

Beyond economic sanctions, there will also likely be a push to condemn Mr Maduro, who has been disinvited from the summit, for calling an election in May that the US and his opposition consider a sham. There will also de discussion about what can be done to help Venezuela's citizens, with hundreds of thousands having fled across the border to Colombia

'Rambo' rebel helicopter pilot Oscar Perez posts videos as he is cornered by Venezuela government security forces

Having mused about the possibility of a "military option" to push for change in Venezuela, Mr Trump had been described as “insane” by several Latin American leaders at a dinner on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last year, according to Politico.

“By the time the dinner was over, the leaders were in shock, and not just over the idle talk of armed conflict. No matter how prepared they were, eight months into an American presidency like no other, this was somehow not what they expected,” Politico reported.

While the administration appears to want the focus of the summit to be on the crisis in Venezuela, the leaders at the Summit of the Americas are also expected to talk about the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) after the US called for reworking the more than $1 trillion trade deal. Mr Trump has repeatedly called Nafta a “horrible deal” but experts do not expect any real progress to be made on the negotiations during this particular summit.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said he expected a “win-win-win” renegotiation and it was expected a new deal will be announced at the summit “in principle”. Mr Trump had said during a speech in West Virginia last week that though some expected a new Nafta deal to be done by the summit he did not want to rush the process – “take it nice and easy, there’s no rush, we get it done right or we’ll terminate it”.

Mr Trump has openly criticised Mexico for taking jobs away from the US as a result of Nafta, while also continuing to push for the roughly 2,000-mile border wall, for which he still insists publicly to his supporters that the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto will provide funding.

A turbulent year in Venezuela Show all 11 1 /11 A turbulent year in Venezuela A turbulent year in Venezuela Demonstrators scuffle with security forces during an opposition rally in Caracas, Venezuela, April 4, 2017. Venezuelan security forces quelled masked protesters with tear gas, water cannons and pepper spray in Caracas after blocking an opposition rally against socialist President Nicolas Maduro. The clashes began after authorities closed subway stations, set up checkpoints and cordoned off a square where opponents had planned their latest protest against the government and the crippling economic crisis. Carlos Garcia Rawlins: "For me that was the day that made a difference, never before had I seen the protesters and police clashing men-to-men and struggling back and forward. From then, the strategy of the police changed and they never faced the protesters so close again." Reuters A turbulent year in Venezuela A man who was set on fire by people accusing him of stealing during a rally against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro runs amidst opposition supporters in Caracas, Venezuela, May 20, 2017. Marco Bello: "I spotted a man running in front of me as a group of protesters, most of them hooded and with makeshift shields, were chasing him so I followed them. Some 100 meters down the street, the protesters caught the man and surrounded him. When I walked up and went through the circle of people to take pictures, someone had already poured gasoline over the man and set him on fire. Reuters A turbulent year in Venezuela "Rowdy groups of government supporters busted into Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly. There were several clashes happening at the same time, so I tried to follow a small group of attackers as they pushed their way through the main building. By the time I got into the building, they had already finished hitting people and were on their way out, leaving behind an opposition lawmaker covered in blood. I quickly went over to the politician, Leonardo Regnault, whose grey suit was spattered in blood. He was up against an ornate wooden door, clearly in a state of shock. Another opposition lawmaker, Luis Stefanelli, was standing next to him, hands up in a sign of surrender and pleading with the attackers to stop the beating. Reuters A turbulent year in Venezuela A member of the riot security forces points a gun through the fence of an air force base at David Jose Vallenilla, who was fatally injured during clashes at a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas, Venezuela, Reuters A turbulent year in Venezuela A demonstrators attends a rally against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas, Venezuela, June 19, 2017. Ivan Alvarado: "I was under the highway photographing some protestors who had surrounded a woman they accused of stealing a phone from someone. I turned around to check what was happening behind me and saw this man appearing from the shadows to see what was going on. The white on his face is salt, which the protestors said helped to reduce the effects of the tear gas." REUTERS A turbulent year in Venezuela Riot security forces clash with demonstrators as a motorcycle is set on fire during a protest against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government in San Cristobal, Venezuela, May 29, 2017. Carlos Eduardo Ramirez: "Security forces arrived to disperse demonstrators that already had burned two taxis and a bus, throwing tear gas and pellets and the demonstrators' response was to throw molotov cocktails and one of those petrol bombs reached a National Guard member, setting him and the motorbike on fire." Reuters A turbulent year in Venezuela Riot security forces detain a demonstrator during a rally against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas, Venezuela, July 28, 2017. Rock-throwing Venezuelans braved tear gas and rainstorms, blocking streets in protest against a legislative super-body to be elected two days later that critics call an attempt by President Nicolas Maduro to create a dictatorship. Carlos Garcia Rawlins: "After many hours of very violent clashes between the demonstrators and security forces, the National Guard in an attempt to end the situation, suddenly advanced their line very quickly, even going beyond where I and other photographers were taking cover. All the protesters who did not react fast enough to leave the place were detained." Reuters A turbulent year in Venezuela Opposition lawmaker Carlos Paparoni is hit by jets of water during riots at a march to the state ombudsman's office in Caracas, Venezuela, May 29, 2017. A group of young Venezuelan lawmakers has risen to prominence on the violent front line of anti-government marches that have shaken the South American country for three months, bringing 75 deaths. On the streets daily leading demonstrators, pushing at security barricades and sometimes picking up teargas canisters to hurl back at police and soldiers, the energetic National Assembly members are heroes to many opposition supporters. Carlos Garcia Rawlins: "I remember clearly how instants after I spotted Paparoni standing in front of 'The Whale', the common name of the water cannon armoured cars, he was flying through the air due to the unstoppable power of the water, as if he was a feather. Fellow protesters had to drag him out of the place, because from where I was, he seemed to have been unconscious." Reuters A turbulent year in Venezuela Flames erupt as clashes break out while the Constituent Assembly election is being carried out in Caracas, Venezuela, July 30, 2017. Deadly protests rocked Venezuela as opposition voters boycotted an election for a constitutional super-body that unpopular leftist President Nicolas Maduro vowed would begin a 'new era of combat' in the crisis-stricken nation. Carlos Garcia Rawlins: "Suddenly, a bomb exploded in the capital during an opposition protest and wounded seven police officers in what seemed to be the spread of more aggressive tactics. We were taking photos from close by but the police panicked and chased everyone away, firing teargas, rubber bullets and pellets." Reuters A turbulent year in Venezuela An injured opposition supporter is helped by volunteer members of a primary care response team during clashes with riot security forces at a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas, Venezuela, June 22, 2017. Ivan Alvarado: "This image was taken next to an airforce base where another protestor was fatally injured that day. I don't know how this man was injured, I first saw him as the first aid volunteers carried him out from the midst of the tear gas. You can really see the pain in his expression as he cries out. After I took the image the motorbike speeded off down the highway." Reuters A turbulent year in Venezuela A demonstrator shouts slogans in front of police officers during a women's march to protest against President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas, Venezuela Reuters

Mr Trump has already said he will look to send up to 4,000 National Guard troops to the border to stem what he sees as a possible influx of migrants and refugees from Central America through Mexico. Mr Trump has said Latin American and African countries are “not putting their good ones” forward for migrating to the US, echoing his old campaign rhetoric and further stoking xenophobic rhetoric among some of his supporters.

He has also hit out at Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador about migrants from those countries entering the US illegally as they flee gang violence and drug cartels. He had also threatened to cut off aid to Colombia and Peru over drug trade issues. If Mr Trump is as confrontational during the summit, he will likely run into issues.

Adding to the tensions of the multilateral meeting, Luis Almagro, the Organisation of American States secretary general and one of the summit’s organisers, told the Miami Herald that a meeting between Mr Trump and Cuban leader Raul Castro is “inevitable”. The pair will be in the same room multiple times during the summit of 34 countries but, a senior US official told McClatchy newspapers that the US president has been advised to avoid shaking hands with Mr Castro.

Three years ago, Mr Obama took a picture with Mr Castro and it dominated headlines of the summit. However, Mr Trump has sought to cool relations with Cuba, with Mr Obama having made a big push for a thaw.

Travel restrictions were lifted and opportunities to do business also opened up – much of it done through executive orders signed by Mr Obama that avoided the need for Congressional approval. However, Congress voted not to lift the US economic embargo. Despite a fiery speech to Cuban-Americans in south Florida last year about cutting ties, Mr Trump has not officially downgraded relations or halted flights between the two countries.