    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [May 7, 2008]
    [Pages 647-652]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the Council of the Americas
    May 7, 2008

        Thank you all. Please be seated. Bill,
    thank you for the kind introduction. Thanks for giving me a chance to
    come by and see that the Secretary of State's dining room is a lot better than the President's
    dining room. [Laughter] I'm honored to be here. I'm pleased to be with
    the Council of Americas again. I appreciate what you do to promote
    personal and economic freedom throughout the region, throughout the
    Americas. I appreciate your strong concern about the need for liberty to
    be spread, liberty in forms of government and liberty in forms of
    economies.
        I am honored to be here with the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, better known in the
    neighborhood as Senorita Arroz. [Laughter] I'm pleased to be with Carlos
    Gutierrez, the Secretary of Commerce,
    Susan Schwab, the U.S. Trade Representative.
    I'm thrilled to be here with Susan Segal, the
    president and CEO of the Council of Americas; a dear family friend,
    former member of the Cabinet of--in 41, Robert Mosbacher; Mack McLarty as well--people who care a lot about the region.
    Thank you for joining us here. I'm also pleased to be here with
    Ministers, representatives, Ambassadors from the Governments of Canada,
    Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. Honored you all are here.
        The foundation of a good foreign policy is good relations with your
    neighbors. A peaceful and secure neighborhood is in the interest of the
    United States of America. And so I want to talk to you about the
    hemisphere we share, the challenges we face, and the aggressive work
    that the United States is doing to help make the Americas a place of
    hope and liberty.
        In recent decades, there have been positive developments in Latin
    America. Countries have moved away from an era of dictatorships, era of
    civil strife. Unfortunately, today, some countries in the region are
    seeing a resurgence of radicalism and instability. And one nation in the
    region remains mired in the tyranny of a bygone era, and that is Cuba.
        Yesterday I had a fascinating opportunity to speak with a leading
    Cuban dissident, a former
    political prisoner, and a wife of a man who
    is held in a Cuban prison simply because he expressed his belief that
    all people should live in a free society. Video conferencing is one of
    the great wonders of the 21st century. And to be able to sit in the
    White House and talk to these three brave souls in Havana was a
    inspiring moment for me. It reminded me about how much work the United
    States has to do to help the people in Cuba realize the blessings of
    liberty.
        It also reminded me of a couple of things: One, that there's an
    eternal truth when it comes to freedom; that there is an Almighty, and a
    gift of that Almighty to every man, woman, and child, whether they be
    American, Cubano, or anywhere else, is freedom; and that it's going to
    take the courage and determination of individuals such as the three I
    met with to help inspire the island to embrace freedom.
        The Cuban Government recently announced a change at the top. Some in
    the world marveled that perhaps change is on its way. That's not how I
    view it. Until there's a change of heart and a change of compassion and
    a change of how the Cuban Government treats its people, there's no
    change at all. The regime has made empty gestures at reform, but Cuba is
    still ruled by the same group that has oppressed the Cuban people for
    almost half a century. Cuba will not be a land of liberty so long as
    free expression is punished and free speech can take place only in
    hushed whispers and silent prayers. And Cuba will not become a place of
    prosperity just by

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    easing restrictions on the sale of products that the average Cuban
    cannot afford.
        If Cuba wants to join the community of civilized nations, then
    Cuba's rulers must begin a process of peaceful democratic change. And
    the first step must be to release all political prisoners. They must
    respect the human rights in word and in deed. And they must allow what
    the Cuban people have desired for generations: to pick their own leaders
    in free and fair elections. This is the policy of the United States, and
    it must not change until the people of Cuba are free.
        We will face other challenges in the hemisphere as well. I'm deeply
    concerned about the challenge of illicit drug trade. First, I fully
    understand that when there is demand, there will be supply. And the
    United States of America is implementing a strategy to reduce--a
    comprehensive strategy to convince our people to stop using illegal
    drugs. I talk to my counterparts all the time in the region. And I talk
    about how we can work together--and I'll explain some strategies here in
    a minute--but I also remind them that so long as the United States uses
    illegal drugs, you know, drug dealers will find a way to get their
    products here.
        We made some progress on reducing demand. Since 2001, the rate of
    drug use among the young has dropped by 24 percent. Young people's use
    of marijuana is down by 25 percent. The use of ecstasy has dropped by
    more than 50 percent. Methamphetamine use is down by 64 percent.
    Overall, it's estimated that 860,000 fewer young people in America are
    using drugs today than when we began. But obviously, we still have a lot
    of work to do. And so my commitment to our friends in the neighborhood
    is, the United States will continue to implement its comprehensive
    strategy to do our part to reduce demand for illegal drugs.
        Secondly, we're working to intercept illegal drugs before they reach
    our citizens. Every day, the men and women of the DEA, the Coast Guard,
    the Border Patrol, and other law enforcement organizations are working
    tirelessly to intercept drugs, to stop money laundering, and to bust the
    gangs that are spreading this poison throughout our society. We've had
    some success. We've seized record amounts of cocaine coming into the
    United States. Last year, these efforts resulted in a significant
    disruption of the availability of cocaine in 38 major cities. We still
    have more work to do.
        And a final leg of our strategy is this: We will work with our
    partners, Mexico and the countries of Central America, to take on the
    international drug trade. I am deeply concerned about how lethal and how
    brutal these drug lords are. I have watched with admiration how
    President Calderon has
    taken a firm hand in making sure his society is free of these drug
    lords. And the tougher Mexico gets, the more likely it is they--these
    drug families and these kingpins--will try to find safe haven in Central
    America.
        And that is why I committed my administration to the Merida
    Initiative. It's a partnership, a cooperative partnership with Mexico
    and Central America that will help them deal with the scourge of these
    unbelievably wealthy and unbelievably violent drug kingpins. And I want
    to work with Congress to make sure that, one, they fully pass our
    requests in the upcoming supplemental debate, and also remind Members of
    Congress that the strategy that we have put forth is a strategy designed
    with the leadership of the Central American countries as well as with
    Mexico. It's a strategy designed to be effective. And so when Congress
    passes our supplemental request, they also got to make sure that they
    implement the strategy we proposed in full.
        Another challenge is to--promoting social justice in the region.
    Nearly one out of four people in Latin America lives on $2 a day.
    Children never finish grade school. Mothers have trouble finding a
    doctor. In the age of growing prosperity and

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    abundance, this is a problem that the United States must take seriously.
    As the most prosperous country in the world, the United States is
    reaching out to help our partners improve the lives of their citizens.
        Social justice requires access to decent health care. And so we're
    helping meet health care needs in some of the most remote parts of Latin
    America, primarily by using the United States military's medical
    personnel to treat local citizens.
        I'll never forget going to Guatemala and seeing the clinics run by
    our troops. America is a compassionate country. We're plenty strong when
    we need to be. But our military has provided unbelievably good care for
    a lot of people who have never seen health care before. The missions
    last year provided treatment for 340,000 individuals in 15 countries.
    And this year, a new series of humanitarian assistant missions will
    treat an additional 320,000. I mean, it's so important when people think
    of America and think of the neighborhood that they understand social
    justice is at the forefront of our agenda.
        Social justice requires access to decent education as well. And
    since 2004, the taxpayers of the United States have provided more than
    $300 million for education programs throughout the region, with a
    special emphasis, a special focus, on rural and marginalized
    populations.
        Last year as well, the Secretary and I
    announced a new partnership for Latin American youth to help train
    thousands of young people in the Americas with their English and to
    provide opportunity to study here in the United States. And the reason
    why is simple: We want people in our neighborhood to have the skills
    necessary to take advantage of the opportunities of the 21st century.
    It's in the interest of the United States that we promote good health
    policies and good education policies.
        Social justice also requires institutions that are fair, effective,
    and free of corruption. It's hard to have a hopeful society when
    leadership steals the taxpayers' money. It's hard to have a hopeful
    place when the people aren't comfortable with the nature of government.
    And so we'll continue our bilateral aid, and I'm proud of the amounts of
    money we're spending in the region. But we've also changed the way that
    we're providing aid by insisting upon rules of governance, rule of law,
    the education--the investment in education and health of its people, and
    governments to embrace marketplace economies.
        And we do this what's called--through what's called the Millennium
    Challenge Account. It is a new way to say that, yes, we're going to
    provide taxpayers' money, but we expect something in return from the
    governments that we help. I don't think it's too much to ask a
    government that receives U.S. aid to fight corruption. A matter of fact,
    I think it's a request that's long overdue. I don't think it's too much
    to ask a government that we help to invest in the health and education
    of their children. Nor do I think it's too much to ask for a government
    to accept marketplace economics.
        The Millennium Challenge Account has invested $930 million in the--
    our region thus far to assist the countries of El Salvador, Guyana,
    Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Peru. And let me talk about just some
    of the initiatives to give you a sense for the types of programs we're
    talking about.
        In Honduras, the United States is providing assistance to nearly
    1,300 farmers so they can develop their farmland and provide for their
    families. In Nicaragua, we've helped small farmers and entrepreneurs
    increase their productivity in rural communities. In Paraguay, we're
    working to--with local leaders to reduce the cost of starting new
    businesses.
        See, the whole purpose is to encourage enterprise, infrastructure
    that'll help people get goods to markets; to provide the capacity--
    increase the capacity of these countries to be able to provide hope for
    their people.

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    This is a really good program, and the Congress needs to fully fund it
    as they debate the appropriations bills this year.
        The Millennium Challenge Account is one way to promote prosperity,
    but perhaps the most--not perhaps--the most effective way is through
    trade. Trade brings increased economic opportunities to both the people
    of Latin America and the people of the United States.
        Congress recognized these opportunities. I mean, Congress took a
    look at whether or not we ought to have free trade agreements in our
    neighborhood, and they started doing so with Peru. And the bill,
    thankfully--the trade bill with Peru passed by a large bipartisan
    majority. It's a good agreement. It's good for Peru; it also happens to
    be good for the United States. And now my call on Congress is to take
    that same spirit by which they passed the Peruvian trade agreement and
    do the same thing for Colombia and Panama.
        About 17 months ago, the United States signed a free trade agreement
    with Colombia. Ever since, my administration has worked closely with
    Congress to seek a bipartisan path for considering this agreement. I
    understand trade votes are hard. And that's why we continually reached
    out with--to Congress. We've had more than 400 consultations, meetings,
    and calls. We've led trips to Colombia for more than 50 Members of
    Congress. We've worked closely with congressional leaders from both
    parties. We've responded to concerns over labor and environmental
    standards by including some of the most rigorous protections of any
    trade agreement in the history of the United States. We have bent over
    backwards to work with members from both parties on the Hill.
        And despite this, Congress has refused to act. One month ago, I sent
    the bill to implement the agreement to the Congress. Yet the
    Speaker chose to block it instead of giving it
    an up-or-down vote that the Congress had committed to. Her action is
    unprecedented. It is extremely unfortunate. I hope the Speaker is going
    to change her mind. I hope you help her to change her mind. If she
    doesn't, the agreement is dead, and this will be bad for our workers,
    our businesses, and it'll be bad for America's national security.
        Approving the agreement would strengthen our economy. Today, almost
    all of Colombia's exports enter the United States duty free. Yet
    American products exported to Colombia face tariffs of up to 35 percent
    for nonagricultural goods and much higher for many agricultural
    products. Think about that. They export into the United States duty
    free, and we don't have the same advantage. I would call that a one-
    sided economic agreement.
        Failure to pass the free trade agreement, therefore, is making it
    much harder to sell our products into Colombia. To try to put this in
    perspective for you: This weekend we reached an unfortunate milestone
    when the tariffs imposed on U.S exports to Colombia reached an estimated
    $1 billion since the free trade agreement was signed. There's a--that's
    1 billion good reasons why the United States Congress ought to pass this
    bill. Passing the agreement, we could create the--[applause].
        Members of Congress need to think about this. Once implemented, the
    Colombia free trade agreement would immediately eliminate tariffs on
    more than 80 percent of American exports of industrial and consumer
    goods. Many American exports of agriculture and construction equipment,
    aircraft and auto parts, and medical and scientific equipment would
    immediately enter Colombia duty free. So would farm exports like high-
    quality beef and cotton and wheat and soybeans and fruit. And
    eventually, the agreement would eliminate all tariffs on U.S. goods and
    services.
        Opening markets is especially important during this time of economic
    uncertainty. Last year, exports accounted for more than 40 percent of
    America's total economic growth. Forty percent of the growth was as a
    result of goods and services being sold

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    from the United States into foreign markets. With our economy slowing,
    it seems like to me that we should be doing everything possible to open
    up new markets for U.S. goods and services. More than 9,000 American
    companies, including 8,000 small and midsized firms, export to Colombia.
    And approving this agreement, opening up markets for their goods and
    services, would help them increase sales, would help them grow their
    businesses, and would help them pay good-paying jobs.
        If you're interested in work in America, if you're interested in
    economic vitality, you ought to be doing everything you can to make it
    easier for U.S. companies to be selling overseas.
        And finally, approving this agreement is a urgent national security
    priority. Colombia is one of our strongest allies in the Western
    Hemisphere. I admire President Uribe a
    lot. He is courageous. He shares our values. He is a strong, capable
    partner in fighting drugs and crime and terror. The Colombia Government
    reports, since 2002, kidnapings in Colombia have dropped 83 percent,
    terrorist attacks are down 76 percent, murders have dropped by 40
    percent. He's got a strong record of doing what he said he was going to
    do.
        And despite the progress, Colombia remains under intense pressure in
    the region. It faces a continuing assault from the terrorist group known
    as FARC, which seizes hostages and murders innocent civilians. Colombia
    faces a hostile and anti-American neighbor in Venezuela, where the
    regime has forged an alliance with Cuba, collaborated with FARC
    terrorists, and provided sanctuary to FARC units.
        President Uribe has stood strong. He
    has done so with the assurance of American support. Congress's failure
    to pass the Colombia free trade agreement has called this support into
    question. President Uribe told Members of Congress that approving this
    agreement is one of the most important ways that America can show our
    unwavering commitment to Colombia. Congressional leaders need to send a
    message that we support this brave and courageous leader and that we
    will not turn our back on one of our most steadfast allies.
        Yesterday I met with the President of Panama. I assured him our efforts to get the Panamanian trade
    bill passed will be just as vociferous and vigorous as our efforts to
    get the Colombia trade bill passed. Congress must understand: They have
    a chance to spread prosperity in our neighborhood; they have a chance to
    support friends in our neighborhood. And there's no better way to
    express that friendship than to support the Colombia free trade
    agreement, the Panamanian free trade agreement, and while they're at it,
    to send a clear message around the world that the South Korean free
    trade agreement is good for the U.S. economy as well.
        The ties between the people of the United States and the people of
    Latin America are important to our country. They're important to our
    prosperity, and they're important to the national security interests of
    the country. We share a deep bond, a bond between friends and a bond
    between neighbors. And because of this bond, the United States will, and
    must, remain committed to making sure that Latin America is a place of
    opportunity, a place of hope, a place of social justice, a place where
    basic necessities like health care and education are not too much for
    any child to dream about, or a place where poverty gives way to
    prosperity, and a place, above all, where freedom is the birthright of
    every citizen.
        I want to thank you for taking on the cause. I thank you for your
    vision. I thank you for your steadfast support of doing what's right in
    our neighborhood. And it's been my honor to come and share some thoughts
    with you. God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:14 p.m. at the State Department. In his
    remarks, he referred to William R. Rhodes, chairman, Council of the
    Americas; former White

    [[Page 652]]

    House Chief of Staff Thomas F. ``Mack'' McLarty; Cuban dissident Martha
    Beatriz Roque Cabello; former Cuban political prisoner Jorge Luis Garcia
    Perez; Berta Soler Fernandez, wife of Cuban political prisoner Angel
    Moya Acosta; President Felipe de Jesus Calderon Hinojosa of Mexico; and
    President Martin Torrijos Espino of Panama. The Office of the Press
    Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.