Ambassador Speeches

Formal Dedication of U.S. Embassy Compound

[English translation – remarks originally delivered in Spanish]

January 24, 2008

Mr. Vice President

Mr. Foreign Minister

Mr. Mayor

Archbishop Brenes

Assembled guests,

Friends all,

Welcome to our new beginning on this beautiful day.

Let me offer a special welcome to our Washington guests
CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation John Danilovich
Assistant AID Administrator for Latin America Paul Bonicelli

And representatives of the State Department’s Office of Overseas Buildings – the folks who really made this day possible.

I would like express my profound appreciation to all the members of my staff who have worked so tirelessly over the past three years to make this day a reality

And let me also say “gracias” to the Central Government and the Alcaldia de Managua -- and of course our neighbors here in Las Piedricitas -- for the enormous cooperation and good will they extended to us as we constructed these impressive buildings.

As many of you are probably aware, over the years a series of small businesses sprung up around the old Embassy building, businesses designed to “assist” those people applying for visas.

The sign on the façade of one of those businesses in front of the Consular section never failed to raise a smile each time I passed by – a sign which read “Cyber Imperio – Ya estamos abierto.”

The word “imperio” definitely has its own special connotation here in Nicaragua, a connotation which, shall I say, is not exactly “positive.”

But oddly enough, Thomas Jefferson – the author of our Declaration of Independence and a tireless opponent of the British Empire – several times in his writings used the term “imperio” to describe our then new American Republic.

He termed the United States an “empire of liberty” -- in the unwavering belief that our democratic values would soon take root elsewhere on the North American continent and eventually far beyond.

How right he was.

So this morning -- with apologies to both Tomas Jefferson and the owners of that small cyber business --  I say to you “Bienvenidos a la Embajada del Imperio de la Libertad – Ya Estamos Abierto.”
In a few minutes you will all have a chance to take a tour of this building behind me.  You’ll receive pamphlets which describe how much it cost, how many square feet it covers, and maybe even how many miles of wiring are crammed in its walls.

Frankly, I have no idea what those numbers are.

But I can answer the question often asked of me, “Mr. Ambassador, why is the new building so large?”

The deep historic, geographic, economic, cultural and family ties between our two peoples are undeniable.

The United States is Nicaragua’s largest trading partner.

We are both members of CAFTA.
The US private sector is Nicaragua’s largest source of foreign direct investment.

Some 500,000 Nicaraguans live in the United States.

 Those Nicaraguans send back to Nicaragua $500 million in remittances each year.
10,000 Norteamericanos live in Nicaragua.

Thousands of Americans – driven by a sense of service -- travel to Nicaragua each year as private citizens to participate in medical brigades, housing programs, church missions, construction, and other humanitarian projects.

The United States is one of Nicaragua’s largest official assistance donors – over the past 17 years of democratic government our total assistance – both donations and debt forgiveness – has approached $ 2 billion.

Our programs represent our ongoing commitment to the Nicaraguan people to assist them in their efforts to strengthen their democratic institutions, encourage greater economic opportunity, improve their medical services,  better their educational system, preserve their security, and relieve their distress in times of natural disaster.

Our new building is as large as it needs to be to honor that commitment to the Nicaraguan people.

As long as there are Nicaraguans who love democracy and freedom;

As long as there are Nicaraguans who understand the power of entrepreneurship, investment and free markets;

As long as there are Nicaraguans who dream of happier and healthier lives;

We will extend our hand to them. That commitment will stand.

Finally, allow me to mention one more street sign which brings a smile to my face each time I see it.

That large ‘chicha’ sign right over there.

Ironically, the United States knows something about “poder ciudadano.”

Our founding fathers invented the concept and put it in practice.

Indeed, our perhaps most celebrated President, Abraham Lincoln, in his most celebrated speech -- delivered on the first anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg during our great civil war -- defined democracy simply as “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

Abraham Lincoln was an intensely partisan politician who had accumulated unprecedented personal power given his role as commander in chief during that bitter war.

Nevertheless, Lincoln passionately believed, throughout his Presidency, that he served as President of all Americans – Republican and Democrat, northern and southern, black and white, slave and free.

So in defining democracy in that sentence, in that way, on that day, in Gettysburg, he did not mention a political party.

He did not speak of political power.

He did not divide his audience into classes.

He did not speak of himself or his Presidency.
He simply used the word “pueblo.”

And we now know – with more than 140 years of hindsight – that any democracy, indeed any government, which strays far from Lincoln’s simple formulation, does so at great peril.

Once again, thank you all once again for being here with us today to celebrate the inauguration of the new United States Embassy in Nicaragua.