[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 17 (Monday, April 27, 1998)]
[Pages 671-672]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the Community in Casablanca, Chile

April 17, 1998

    Thank you. Mr. President, Mrs. Frei, Mr. Mayor, Senora, thank you 
all for making Hillary and me feel so welcome in this beautiful town of 
yours. I want to say a special word of appreciation to all the young 
people who came out, especially those who made the nice signs in 
English. Thank you very much.
    And I think we should give another round of applause to Los del 
Mauco for the cueca [national dance]. The music was wonderful. Thank you 
very much. Also the wonderful band, Colegio Saleciano, from Valparaiso,

[[Page 672]]

let's give a hand to the band over here. [Applause]
    You know, one reason we wanted to come here is that the house in the 
United States where the President lives is called Casa Blanca. And so 
when I came here today, the mayor said to me, ``Here you're in my Casa 
Blanca and I am the boss, but when I come to visit you, you can be the 
boss in your Casa Blanca.''
    Let me say to all of you, you should be very proud of your country 
and your President, for beginning tomorrow Chile will host and President 
Frei will preside over the Summit of the Americas, a gathering of the 34 
freely elected leaders of our hemisphere. And the real reason we are 
here is because we want you to know that we will do our best to discuss 
things and work together on things that will make your lives better.
    We believe that the people of Chile, the people of the United 
States, the people of all the Americas will share a common future. And 
we want it to be a future with better education for all of our children, 
better health care for all of our people, a cleaner environment in every 
nation in the Americas, and a stronger, better, freer future in which we 
are all working together.
    The United States is proud to be a partner and a friend of Chile, 
and I have enjoyed very much coming here today and seeing all of you. In 
the faces of the children, I see the future of the Americas, and I like 
what I see very much.
    Thank you very much. Muchas gracias.

Note: The President spoke at 5:22 p.m. in the town square. In his 
remarks, he referred to Mayor Manuel Vera of Casablanca. This item was 
not received in time for publication in the appropriate issue.