Text 4206, 90 rader
Skriven 2007-03-11 23:30:56 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (070311) for Sun, 2007 Mar 11
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President Bush and President Uribe of Columbia Exchange Toasts
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary March 11, 2007

President Bush and President Uribe of Columbia Exchange Toasts Casa de
Nari¤o Bogot , Colombia

˙˙White House News


3:00 P.M. (Local)

PRESIDENT URIBE: -- (as translated) -- our independence and freedom; who
can resist the love inspired by a government that not only takes care of
personal needs, but of those of all society; who out of the common will
establishes the supreme law of individual will. Who can resist a government
that does well, one which with a skillful hand directs its society towards
its perfection; a government that establishes social perfection as the only
destiny of humanity. That is what the liberator said during his speech in
angostura, when he referred to the United States.

And when the liberator presided over a constitutional conference, he
referred to George Washington in the following way -- in Bolivia. When the
constitution of Bolivia was enacted for first time, our liberator wants
this constitution, and at the moment of peace assembly, our liberator said,
referring to President George Washington, "The beautiful lesson that the
citizen hero has left us, the Father of the great American Republic, should
not be one that we failed to see." Today, the American Republic is an
example of glory, of freedom and of the joy of virtue.

In the year 1828 he referred in a letter to the convention Oca a, and it is
very vibrant when we refer to it, thinking of the struggle we have today in
Colombia. In one of the paragraphs of that letter the liberator said,
"Legislators consider that the energy of public strength is the only thing
that can protect the weak. It is the hope of all society, and it is what
terrifies the criminal." And at the end of that letter he said, "We need
the energy of public force in order to guarantee the virtue of the
republic. Without that energy, there will be no virtue. And without virtue,
the republic will perish."

Those words, those paragraphs of the liberator, Mr. President Bush, are the
ones that illuminate us today in order to strengthen our democratic
institutions and do away completely with terrorism. Those paragraphs of the
liberator, Mr. President, that are reflected both in the letter of
angostura, as well as in the constituent assembly of Bolivia regarding
George Washington illuminate the thought of our country with regard to the
fraternal relations that we establish with regard to the democratic
principles espoused by your country.

It is with great feeling that we welcome you to our country. And through
you, to the people of the United States we wish to extend our fraternal
greeting, to express our thanks to the people of the United States, to the
U.S. Congress, to your government and to you, personally, Mr. Bush, for all
the support that our struggle for democratic security has received from
you.

I want to invite you to make a toast to the welfare of the United States of
America, to the welfare of Colombia, to the unity of our continent and the
respect for freedom and diversity. To all the members of your
administration, your families, and everyone in your nation.

(A toast was offered.)

PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, thank you very much. I appreciate your
hospitality. I am amazed by the beauty of your country. I've never been
here to the beautiful capital city of your country, but Laura and I were
struck by two things: the beauty of the landscape and the warmness of the
people.

We bring greetings from the United States to the people of your country. We
have been friends and we shall remain friends. We value your democracy. I
appreciate your strong leadership. We come during a period where your
country has come through very difficult times, and now there's a brighter
day ahead. And my message to the people of your country is we want to help
every individual realize their God-given potential.

I'd like to propose a toast to the people of this country, to the
leadership of this country. May God bless you.

(A toast was offered.)

END 3:11 P.M. (Local)
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