Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speaks at
the annual meeting of the Council of the Americas
at the State Department in Washington on Tuesday,
May 3. Rice says Latin America's democracies are
leading much of the developing world in political
and economic liberty, state security and social
justice. (Photo © AP/WWP) |
|
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
says the democratic transformation of Latin America is part
of a "larger tide of liberty" that is sweeping
throughout the world.
In May 3 remarks at the State Department
to the annual meeting of the Council of the Americas, Rice
said Latin America's democracies are leading much of the
developing world in political and economic liberty, state
security and social justice.
Rice said that 25 years ago, 14 military
dictatorships in the region oppressed citizens, violent
insurgencies raged in nine countries, corrupt "statist"
economies impoverished millions of people and guerrilla
groups operated in virtually every nation, "insisting
that armed struggle was the only path to change."
But over two decades, Latin Americans "transcended
what many assumed was an inescapable reality," she
said. "They threw murderers and thieves and dictators
out of power and created democracies. They built free-market
economies that grew more last year than at any other time
in the past three decades. The countries of our hemisphere
now share a consensus that democracy and economic liberty
are the only pathways to success."
During her remarks, Rice urged the U.S.
Congress to pass the proposed U.S. free-trade agreement
with Central America and the Dominican Republic, known as
CAFTA-DR.
Rice said the trade pact will advance democracy,
strengthen security and promote prosperity "among some
of our most important neighbors."
The secretary of state said the people of
Central America and the Dominican Republic are working hard
"to replace a past of chaos with a future of commerce,"
adding: "They are embracing democratic principles and
free-market reforms. Together, we must use the incentive
of increased trade to promote even greater political and
economic freedom." The CAFTA-DR pact "will make
that possible," said Rice.
Some people, Rice said, believe that CAFTA-DR
will "only enable the strong to prey upon the weak."
"This is deeply misguided," said
Rice, because "free trade promotes growth and opportunity
and can, thus, benefit all."
Rice said that for too many decades, U.S.
policy toward Central America and the Dominican Republic
has "oscillated from engagement to disregard."
But under CAFTA-DR, "with the permanent
engagement that free trade brings, we can break this trend
once and for all, and we can demonstrate that the United
States is committed to the success of all Latin American
countries that embrace the challenge of democracy,"
she said.
Following is the transcript of Rice's remarks:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
May 3, 2005
REMARKS
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
At the Council of Americas Annual Meeting
May 3, 2005
Loy Henderson Conference Room
Washington, D.C.
(9:10 a.m. EDT)
SECRETARY RICE: Thank you very much. Thank
you, Bill, for that wonderful and kind introduction and
thank you for the water that you're about to give me. I
appreciate that.
I'd also like to recognize Eric Farnsworth
and Susan Segal and especially David Rockefeller. David,
thank you for the now 40 years that you have had the vision
to have an organization like this and for the great work
that it has done. Thank you very, very much for your commitment.
For four decades, the Council of the Americas
has been committed to democracy and prosperity in the Western
Hemisphere and through your tireless efforts this vision
is becoming a reality across the hemisphere. We here at
the State Department and in the government especially value
your dedicated cooperation because you understand that the
leadership and partnership of the United States is essential
to success in Latin America.
As you know, I've just returned from a trip
to Brazil and Colombia, Chile and El Salvador, where I worked
with our many democratic partners to advance our shared
principles. In Santiago we were able to reach consensus
on a new Secretary General for the Organization of American
States and we underscored the need for the free nations
of the Americas to help all our citizens share in the benefits
of democracy.
The democratic transformation of Latin America
is part of a larger tide of liberty that is cascading throughout
the world. In places like Georgia and Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan
and elsewhere, in Iraq and Afghanistan, Lebanon and the
Palestinian territories, people's desire for freedom and
dignity is redefining what many thought possible in these
societies. The same is true of Latin America and today the
region's democracies are leading much of the developing
world in political and economic liberty, in state security
and in social justice.
Too often, when people talk about Latin
America they focus on how many hurdles of development still
remain, problems like poverty and inequality and fragile
democracies. And to be sure, in places like Ecuador and
Bolivia and elsewhere in the region, these challenges are
very real. And these challenges deserve our attention because
they will take sustained effort over many years, even decades,
to address successfully.
But we must not lose sight of how far our
hemisphere has come in just 25 years. Back then, 14 military
dictatorships oppressed citizens throughout the region.
Violent insurgencies raged in nine countries. Corrupt statist
economies impoverished millions of people. And guerrilla
groups operated in virtually every nation, insisting that
armed struggle was the only path to change.
In just over two decades, the people of
Latin America transcended what many assumed was an inescapable
reality. They threw murderers and thieves and dictators
out of power and created democracies. They built free-market
economies that grew more last year than at any other time
in the past three decades. The countries of our hemisphere
now share a consensus that democracy and economic liberty
are the only pathways to success. The real divide in the
Americas today is not between governments of the left and
the right. The real divide is between those who are elected
and govern democratically and those who do not.
Today, when democratic members of the OAS
meet, there is only one open seat at the table, and that
seat will someday belong to a free and democratic Cuba.
The 34 democracies of our hemisphere have signed the Inter-American
Democratic Charter and together we, the states of the region,
must hold states accountable to that Charter. And most importantly,
we must insist that leaders who are elected democratically
have a responsibility to govern democratically.
The foundations of freedom are in place
in Latin America and I am confident that in time the blessings
of democracy will come to people who keep faith with the
principles of democracy. But that does not mean that there
are not great challenges before us and the greatest challenge
is for every Latin American democracy to help lift millions
of people out of poverty.
At the Monterrey summit, all nations agreed
that economic growth is essential to fighting poverty. We
also agreed that growth is only possible when governments
rule justly, advance economic liberty and invest in their
people. The key to prosperity for all our citizens lies
in the continued openness of our entire hemisphere, openness
to new ideas, to new people and especially to new trade.
A region that trades in freedom, after all,
benefits everyone. To further the cause of freedom in the
Americas, the United States Congress must approve the Central
American Free Trade Agreement, also with the Dominican Republic.
CAFTA will advance democracy, strengthen security and promote
prosperity among some of our most important neighbors. The
people of Central America and the Dominican Republic are
working hard to replace a past of chaos with a future of
commerce. They are embracing democratic principles and free-market
reforms. Together, we must use the incentive of increased
trade to promote even greater political and economic freedom.
CAFTA will make that possible.
To attract trade and investment, democratic
nations will work to create the political conditions for
prosperity, transparency, accountable governments with energy
and the integrity to enforce the rule of law.
In turn, these democratic reforms will create
opportunities for citizens to lift themselves out of poverty
and participate in the lives of their nations. CAFTA will
also help our Central American neighbors to strengthen environmental
and labor standards, because only democratic governments
truly deliver on the popular desire for a clean environment
and guaranteed rights for workers and only free markets
and free trade protect the common goods that all people
share and enjoy together.
There is a belief among some that CAFTA
will only enable the strong to prey upon the weak. This
is deeply misguided. Free trade promotes growth and opportunity
and can, thus, benefit all. Free trade is most important
for small businesses and new entrepreneurs, because they
have the energy and industry to seize new economic opportunities.
When government liberates the entrepreneurial spirit of
its citizens, free trade becomes an engine for greater prosperity
and social mobility.
Of course, the CAFTA agreement will also
benefit the United States. We export more to these six nations
than we do to Russia, India and Indonesia combined. By uniting
suppliers and customers throughout our region, we will all
compete more successfully in the dynamic global economy.
Even more importantly, CAFTA will contribute to stability
and democracy in Central America, making our nation's immediate
periphery stronger and safer and free.
For too many decades, U.S. policy toward
Central America and the Dominican Republic has oscillated
from engagement to disregard and then back again to disengagement
and back again to disregard. With CAFTA, with the permanent
engagement that free trade brings, we can break this trend
once and for all, and we can demonstrate that the United
States is committed to the success of all Latin American
countries that embrace the challenge of democracy.
CAFTA is just one illustration of new democratic
partnerships that are defining our hemisphere. In North
America, the United States, Canada, and Mexico have created
the Security and Prosperity Partnership, which will strengthen
the crucial link between public safety and private enterprise.
We in the U.S. Government are looking to all of you in the
private sector to help us identify ways that this partnership
can help us all to cooperate better together.
This is a time of great opportunity for
the Western Hemisphere. It is also a time of great challenge.
For many decades, a genuine partnership was impossible between
the many nations of the Americas because, in fact, we disagreed
over fundamental issues of principle. This is no longer
true.
Today, our hemisphere is committed to democracy
and we share the same great purpose: freedom, prosperity,
and dignity for all of our citizens. This was unthinkable
to many people only 25 years ago, but a principled few held
fast to the vision: a future democratic partnership that
would span our hemisphere. The Council of the Americas was
at the forefront of this distinguished group. You have helped
the nations of the Americas forge a grand consensus on the
importance of free minds and free markets. Now, you must
work together with the free governments of this region to
expand and extend the benefits of democracy to all our citizens.
This is a great challenge, but it is not beyond our reach.
And as partners, we will fulfill the great hope of democracy
for all the peoples of this hemisphere.
Thank you very much.
(end transcript)
