    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [February 23, 2000]
    [Pages 291-292]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Welcoming Ceremony for King Juan Carlos I of Spain
    February 23, 2000

        Your Majesties, members of the Spanish delegation, ladies and
    gentlemen, on behalf of the people of the United States, I am delighted
    to welcome the King and Queen of Spain back to
    America.
        A quarter century ago, the very first trip King Juan Carlos made
    overseas after his proclamation as King was to the United States. Your
    Majesty, we are honored that you have decided to celebrate the
    anniversary of that journey and the friendship between our nations by
    making America your first stop overseas in the new century.
        In the life of every democracy there are defining moments that stand
    above the rest--Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg; Lech Walesa raising a
    fist in a Polish shipyard; students standing with sledgehammers atop the
    Berlin Wall; Nelson Mandela taking the oath of office as President of
    South Africa. Nineteen years ago, on this very day, Spain had one of
    those moments. In the early evening hours of February 23, 1981, 200
    armed militia in Madrid stormed the Parliament in a coup. They fired
    automatic weapons. They took every major elected figure in Spain
    hostage. Many feared Spain's 2-year-old experiment with democracy was
    over. But when angry generals urged King Juan Carlos to join their
    rebellion, he replied defiantly, ``Your coup will succeed over my dead
    body.'' He rallied the people of Spain. He appealed to the military
    sense of honor. He stood strong, and less than 24 hours after it began,
    the coup was over.
        Freedom was secure in Spain. And less than a decade later, when
    freedom was reborn in Eastern Europe, the newest democracies could look
    to Spain as their example. When the task of building an undivided,
    democratic, peaceful Europe is completed, all friends of freedom will
    owe a very great debt to King Juan Carlos.
        Your Majesty, for more than five centuries now, our two nations have
    been united by a common history. Today, we also are united by common
    values and common responsibilities. In Kosovo, Spanish pilots, soldiers,
    and police have performed with great bravery, and in April, a Spanish
    commander will assume the command of KFOR. In Latin America, we have
    stood together, supporting hurricane victims in Honduras and Guatemala
    and flood victims in Venezuela, promoting a better life for the people
    of Colombia, advancing the cause of human rights in Cuba.
        Your Majesty, on this lawn almost a quarter century ago, you said
    that your greatest wish then was that your visit, and I quote, ``would
    contribute to reinforcing the bonds of friendship between us, for the
    good of our two countries and all those who aspire to attain the same
    ideals of faith, freedom, and justice.'' Your Majesty, your visit then
    and all your work since have strengthened our bonds of friendship. As
    you continue to lead your nation and to stand against the forces of
    terror and the enemies of peace and freedom, may your words be our hope
    and our guide as we walk together in this new century.
        Again, we thank you for the honor of your visit, and we welcome you
    warmly--your friends in the United States.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:22 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House, where King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia were accorded a formal
    welcome with full military honors. The transcript

    [[Page 292]]

    released by the Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks
    of the King.