[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book I)]
[March 24, 1994]
[Page 552]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on the Assassination of Luis Donaldo Colosio
March 24, 1994

    I am profoundly saddened to learn of the brutal assassination of 
Luis Donaldo Colosio, the Presidential candidate of the Institutional 
Revolutionary Party (PRI) in Mexico. I deeply deplore this senseless act 
of violence and have conveyed my deepest sympathies to the Mexican 
people and to the family of Mr. Colosio, his wife, and two young 
children.
    Mr. Colosio dedicated his life to public service and to the 
betterment of his nation. It is particularly tragic when an assassin's 
bullet slays a man who still had so much to contribute to history. It is 
a great loss not only for Mexico but for all of North America.
    I telephoned President Carlos Salinas de Gortari shortly after 
midnight last night to express my sorrow and that of the American people 
and to offer my condolences to the Colosio family. I told President 
Salinas that the United States stands ready to assist Mexico in the 
coming days in any way we can.