(CNN) -- I got a rather weird invitation last week. I am a Republican strategist who often takes to the CNN airwaves to criticize President Obama. When the rather official-looking e-mail arrived inviting me to share my thoughts with the president, well, let's just say it made me highly suspicious I was getting punked. But it wasn't a joke. Apparently, President Obama's charm offensive extends beyond Republicans in Congress to occasionally critical Republican pundits. Last Monday, I joined a small group of U.S. Hispanic leaders in meeting with President Obama, ahead of his trip to Mexico and Costa Rica this week. Before the meeting, several friends asked me: "Why is Obama going to Latin America?"
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GOP strategist Ana Navarro joined group of U.S. Hispanic leaders to talk with President Obama
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Obama wanted to discuss issues ahead of his trip to Mexico, Latin America
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Navarro: President to focus on economic opportunities, trade and commerce ties
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She says he should talk about economic benefits of a modernized immigration system
It's not often that U.S. presidents travel to @placeholder without the specific purpose of participating in a summit or visiting an area ravaged by a natural disaster.
A marker of success for this trip would be to convince @placeholder that the United States considers it a full strategic partner.