Jill Biden uses her soft diplomacy to make the case for partnering with the US during three-country Latin America tour

First lady Jill Biden on Monday wraps a six-day, three-country tour of Latin America with an agenda that focused -- at times with subtlety and others with direct intent -- on why a partnership with the United States has its benefits.

"Alone, you can only do so much. Any one of us can only do so much," said Biden in remarks at the Ecuadorean presidential palace on Thursday. "That's what I'd like to talk to you about today: How when we work together, we can make our nations and our world stronger."

Biden has -- in the three capital cities of Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica -- made remarks on a similar theme, tackling issues related to democracy, growth and political freedom. Her mission has been to shore-up relations with allies in a region rife with corruption and immigration issues, a topic her husband's administration has found controversial back home.