In early 1943, Wallace was dispatched on a goodwill tour of Latin America; he made 24 stops across Central America and South America. Partly due to his ability to deliver speeches in Spanish, Wallace received a warm reception; one State Department official noted that "never in Chilean history has any foreigner ever been received with such extravagance and evidently sincere enthusiasm". During his trip, several Latin American countries declared war against Germany. After a long, public battle between Wallace and RFC head Jesse H. Jones, in July 1943 Roosevelt abolished the BEW and replaced it with the newly created Office of Economic Warfare, led by Leo Crowley. The abolition of the BEW was widely viewed as a major blow to Wallace's standing in the administration, but Wallace remained a loyal supporter of Roosevelt. He continued to deliver speeches, stating after the Detroit race riot of 1943 that "we cannot fight to crush Nazi brutality abroad and condone race riots at home". Though Congress largely blocked Roosevelt's domestic agenda, Wallace continued to call for progressive programs; one newspaper wrote that "the New Deal today is Henry Wallace ... the New Deal banner in his hands is not yet furled".