[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
[March 12, 2007]
[Pages 289-290]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks Following a Tour of Labradores Mayas in Iximche, Guatemala
March 12, 2007

    The President. You know I--Mariano, when I gave a speech in the 
United States, I talked about you. And Mrs. Bush and I have been looking 
forward to meeting you because you----
    Mariano Canu. So have I.
    The President. ----you represent people who dream, people who work 
hard, and people who make wonderful products.
    And there's two things I want to share. One, that USAID, which is 
funded through the generosity of the American people, is helping people 
like you all throughout the

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region to realize your dreams, because we believe that--we believe in 
the dignity of every person. And we want people to realize their God-
given potential. You have proven that if just given a chance, you and 
hundreds of others can succeed, and that's what we want.
    Secondly, free trade is important for a lot of people. It's 
important for our country.
    Mariano Canu. It's a gateway for us.
    The President. It's a gateway. It creates jobs in America just like 
it creates jobs here.
    And so we thank you for your wonderful hospitality. We loved being 
with your families.
    Mariano Canu. And we thank you, too, all so much for all the support 
you've given us, from USAID, from the Guatemalan Government, from the 
President. We're very, very grateful.
    The President. Thank you, sir. Gracias. Que Dios les bendiga.

Note: The President spoke at 10:43 a.m. Participating in the tour was 
Mariano Canu, cofounder, Labradores Mayas, who spoke in Spanish and had 
his remarks translated by an interpreter. The Office of the Press 
Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.