[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14146]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING DIARIO LAS AMERICAS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 9, 2003

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I wish to recognize the extraordinary achievements 
of a newspaper that will commemorate the 50th anniversary of its 
founding on July 4th, the day this Nation celebrates its independence.
  Diario Las Americas is a nationally and internationally distributed 
newspaper that has always served its community, its Nation and the 
principles of freedom and democracy that we all embrace.
  Dr. Horacio Aguirre, its founder and director, was born in New 
Orleans of Nicaraguan parents. He commenced his career in journalism 
early in life after having graduated from the University of Panama with 
a degree in Law and Political Sciences.
  Since 1984, he has presided over the International Affairs Committee 
of the Inter-American Press Association, Sociedad Interamericana de 
Prensa, SIP, an organization that groups some 1,300 newspapers from 
this hemisphere. He is also a member of the World Association of 
Newspapers, WAN, whose headquarters is in Paris, and of the World Press 
Freedom Committee, of Washington, DC.
  Dr. Aguirre has received, among many distinctions and honors, the 
Gran Cruz del Merito Civil de Espana, bestowed in 1991 by His Majesty, 
King Juan Carlos I; the Orden de Caballero de San Gregorio bestowed by 
the Vatican in 1984; the Presidential Award of the Sociedad 
Interamericana de Prensa, SIP en 1999; and degrees honoris causa from 
Barry University, Miami-Dade Community College and Florida 
International University.
  As the 50th anniversary of its founding approaches, I wish to 
acknowledge Diario Las Americas, Dr. Horacio Aguirre, his family and 
collaborators in their abiding stand in defense of moral and democratic 
values.

                          ____________________