Remarks at a celebration of Colombian Independence Day

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, July 28, 2008

July 22, 2008

Gracias. Thank you. Sientese. Gracias. Buenos dias. Bienvenidos a la Casa Blanca. I am pleased to welcome you to the gathering of the 198th anniversary of Colombia's independence, which was celebrated last Sunday in grand style. Colombia and the United States have a long history of close ties. As many of you may know, Colombia supports [supplies] * America's primary source of energy, a resource that many Americans use, and we thank you for your coffee. [Laughter]

I'm proud that the Secretary of Agriculture is with us, Eddie Schafer; Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez; Chief of Staff Bolten; Director John Walters, the Office of Drug and--of National Drug Control Policy; other members of my administration who are concerned about making sure our relationship with Colombia is strong and vibrant.

I appreciate very much the Members of the Congress who have come today: Dreier, Herger, y Diaz-Balart. Thank you all for coming. Thank you for showing your solidarity with the people of Colombia.

I appreciate very much the Embajadora de Colombia--Ambassador Barco, thanks for coming. Carolina Renteria is with us, of the Cabinet the President's Cabinet; welcome. Hector Morales, the Ambassador to--of the United States to the Organization of American States; Camilo Ospina, Ambassador of Colombia to the Organization of American States; Luis Moreno, proud Colombian citizen, president of the Inter-American Development Bank--hola, Luis. Representatives of LULAC, I am so proud of the resolution you recently passed. Thank you for your strong statement.

And after this brief discurso, I'll be welcoming Jorge Celedon y Jimmy Zambrano to entertain us with some songs.

Before we do, though, I want to--got some comments I'd like to make.

The anniversary of Colombia's independence falls only a couple weeks after America's Independence Day celebration. And that's appropriate, because our two nations have much in common. Like the United States, Colombia gained its independence when a band of patriots rallied together against a distant monarchy. Like the United States, Colombia was unified in its earliest days by a daring general who became the country's first President. And like the United States, Colombia built a new government around the rule of law and the notion that liberty was an unalienable right.

Our countries have shared a strong bond from the very beginning. In 1822, President James Monroe was one of the first heads of state to recognize Colombia's independence. And that same year, America became one of the first countries to establish a new diplomatic mission with that republic. From those strong foundations we built a lasting friendship on a mutual respect for liberty and a commitment to a more peaceful world.

This friendship has endured through good times and bad. Less than a decade ago, it looked as if peace and freedom were on retreat in Colombia. The country was in the grip of drug cartels and kidnapers. The Marxist terrorist network known as the FARC threatened to overthrow the democratically elected government. These were tough times for our friend. Our two nations launched an ambitious program that helped rescue Colombia from the brink of becoming a failed state.

Plan Colombia, which started under my predecessor, made it clear that the United States would support the Colombian Government's efforts to modernize its military, to fight terrorists and drug kingpins, to expand educational opportunities, and provide Colombians with alternatives to a life of terror and narcotrafficking. The Colombian Government has taken the lead on this bold plan, and the United States has been proud to help. And today, Plan Colombia is working.

One of the main reasons for Plan Colombia's success is the courage of Colombia's President, President Uribe. President Uribe has taken bold stands to defend our shared democratic values. He has been a strong and capable partner in fighting drugs and crime and terror. He's demonstrated that he is deeply committed to providing a better future for the people of his country.

Since President Uribe took office, the Colombian Government reports that homicides have dropped by 40 percent; kidnapings have dropped by more than 80 percent; terrorist attacks have dropped by more than 70 percent. Reforms to Colombia's criminal justice system have dramatically increased conviction rates. And last year, Colombia's economy saw its largest growth in nearly three decades. These are impressive achievements, and they're a testament to the determination of the Colombian people and their outstanding President.

Earlier this month, President Uribe's administration scored another impressive triumph. In a daring covert operation, members of the Colombian military infiltrated the FARC and convinced the terrorists to transfer 15 hostages, including 3 Americans, to a new location. Disguised Colombian agents arrived in a helicopter to carry out the transfer. And when the hostages lifted off, they were astonished to hear an Army officer say nine words they thought they would never hear: "We are the Colombia Army, and you are free."