 There's his wife friend, I told her I wanted to see you. And who are you, Congresswoman? I've been there with a meeting of a bipartisan meeting of congressmen and senators talking about the Middle East. And I have figures that eventually we're going to learn what we've been doing here in half. That any time that it is a meeting with the Congress, we should schedule nothing for the next two hours afterward, because they never quit on it. Excuse me, I think we should start out in a minute. And we have some pictures also. Did you get them all? Yes, sir. If we could do a group picture. A group picture? Yes. Why don't you and I? All right. So I'll just make a quick announcement. All right. Don't forget. We're very proud of this. I'm glad you're doing a group picture. Yes. I think we better get outside because those people are waiting for us. Are they good? They're playing for us. You could hear them. Thank you. I'm pleased to welcome President Suazo of the Honduras to the White House. Honduras is a good and valued friend and partner of the United States. President Suazo's leadership has returned Honduras to democracy and his government has embarked on a prompt and courageous effort to return the country to economic health. We had a good discussion about the situation in his country and elsewhere in Central America. I told the president of our shock on learning of the recent terrorist attacks against power stations in Honduran territory which cut off vital electricity to hospitals, water, and to other essential facilities. And faced with threats of this kind, the people of Honduras should be able to rely on their friends for help and they can count on us. The United States will provide assistance so that Hondurans can defend themselves from aggression. President Suazo has been a strong voice for peace and democracy in Central America. He has put forward a plan to reduce tensions between states by agreement on the reduction of power stations and by international supervision of borders, airfields, and ports so that each country can be free of the fear of aggression from its neighbors. It's a concrete plan for peace which we fully support. President Suazo also has explained frankly the seriously depressed economy of his country and the austerity measures he has adopted. The proposals before our Congress for the Caribbean Basin would substantially increase our ability to be of help to the people of Honduras. I told President Suazo that I was sure the Congress would respond with strong bipartisan support for a program that is obviously in the interest of both the United States and his country. I'm happy to say that he will be speaking to members of the Congress on the Caribbean Basin Initiative while he is here. Mr. President, I hope you return to Honduras confident that the United States, its people, and its government remains a reliable friend and good neighbor. And that, Mr. President, is my personal pledge to you. Good afternoon, President Suazo from Honduras to the White House. Honduras is a friend and partner, good and valuable from the United States. President Suazo's leadership has returned to Honduras on the path of democracy and his government has embarked on a brave and quick effort to return to the country with economic health. President Suazo and I have had a good conversation about the situation in his country and our countries in Central America. I told President Suazo of our determination to learn about the recent terrorist attacks against hydroelectric stations in Honduran territory that had eliminated vital electricity to hospitals, water services, and other essential facilities. When confronted with threats of this type, the people of Honduras must be able to trust their friends to give them help and they can count on this case with us. The United States will provide help so that Hondurans can defend themselves against aggression. President Suazo has represented a strong voice for peace and democracy in Central America. He has presented a plan to reduce tensions between the states through an agreement on the reduction of armaments and the number of foreign advisors and for the international fiscalization of border areas airports and ports so that each country can be free from the fear of aggression from its neighbors. It is a concrete plan for peace and we give him our full support. President Suazo has also frankly explained the seriously depressed economy of his country and the austerity measures adopted by him. The proposals that are before our congress in the sense of the initiative of the Caribbean Council would greatly increase our economic assistance to Honduras in this fiscal exercise and that would help a people who have a real need. I told President Suazo that he was sure that the congress would respond with a strong support and a bipartisan program that obviously suits the interests of both the United States and Honduras. President Suazo will be, and I will speak with members of our congress on the initiative of the Caribbean Council during its stay in this city. Mr. President, I hope that you return to Honduras confident that the United States, your people and your government are still a friend of confidence and a good neighbor. That, Mr. President, represents my personal commitment. Mr. Journalists, before reading this message, I want to express the following concepts. Mr. President, the historians tell that when Benjamin Franklin left the House of Independence, a woman confused in the crowd asked him what we have done, what we have done, a republic or a monarchy, and the North American procery answered him, a republic. The fundamental, the important thing is how to preserve it. Mr. President, I thank you, the people, the invitation, and I want to express to the North American people this great democracy of the North my admiration and my sympathy because for two centuries they have been able to preserve the republic, they have been able to strengthen the internal democracy and they have been able to project themselves through the whole world as unmovable value of freedom, justice and democracy. I have come to this country inspired by the best purposes of understanding, understanding and friendship. I have come to work in favor of these purposes. With all clarity I have expressed to President Reagan what Honduras means at this critical moment for Central America, for this hemisphere and for the development of the current international relations. I have reaffirmed that Honduras led by a government from the free will of its people for its geopolitical location constitutes the fundamental element to achieve the democratic stability of Central America through the peaceful path, economic progress and social transformation. We have wanted this to be understood with all objectivity without any reticence. I said it when I assumed that the presence of the Republic has been less than six months and I reiterate it now. Honduras does not intend or wish to become the arbiter of the expectations of regional anguish and hope. That is not its role but if, Annella, with a commitment to the principles of non-intervention and self-determination to be a factor of balance and agreement we are left with a common destination for Central America. With that same conviction we respect the other side with the same firmness with which we defend and we will respect our democratic system of life and of government. Join me in this visit to the United States members of my government responsible for basic areas of which to be public and members of our armed forces as the goal is to understand better than the government of Honduras as a whole. Reclaim cooperation and requires understanding in its struggle in favor of a participative and pluralist democracy of a authentic peace for the benefit of the entire region and of an unrestricted respect of human dignity. We have nothing to hide because that is the conduct that corresponds to a democratic government based on popular sovereignty but we do have a lot to say to the leaders of this country to the leaders of international organizations on social and economic reality of Honduras and the solution to their problems about the functioning of their republican institutions and the danger that the same can be touched if the chance of violence is not faced with a genuine spirit of cooperation in favor of peace progress and democracy. That is why we wish that friendship be as frank, realistic and effective as it is the content of our friendship. The present and the future of Honduras depend on the combination of two essential factors of the own effort and of the cooperation and of the combination of two essential factors of the honest effort and of the cooperation of the friends and of the international community. It is with that spirit that I find in this country to guide us on the best path of our conversations and proposals with that spirit I leave testimony of my faith in the means of massive communication in the informative organizations to which I attribute the merit of evaluating the objective of the constructive criticism of freedom and peace. Thank you very much. Mr. President, I want to first of all thank you for your very kind invitation to visit here and I want to say to the people of the United States of this great democracy of the North that we admire and we have great affection for the two centuries in which we've been able to conserve your Republic here, this system of democratic government that you have and have been able to project it on a worldwide basis and have become an unswerving bulwark in defense of freedom, of justice and the best wishes of achieving understanding and friendship. I have come thus to work in favor of these purposes. With all clearness I have expressed to President Reagan what Honduras means in this critical times for Central America for this hemisphere and for the very development of present international relations. I have reaffirmed to him that Honduras govern by government that is born out of the will of the people the free will of its people because of its geopolitical location represents a fundamental element in order to achieve democratic stability in Central America by peaceful means and to achieve economic progress and social change. We have wanted this to be understood completely and objectively without any reticence. I said when I took over as president of the Republic a little less than six months ago and I repeat it now Honduras does not seek does not wish to become the arbiter of regional expectations, anguish and hopes. This is not our role but we do aspire to be faithful to the principles of non-intervention and self-determination to be a factor of balance and of concord in the search for a common destiny for Central America. With this conviction we respect the others with the same firmness with which we will defend and will earn the respect for our democratic system of life and of government. I bring with me on my visit to the United States members of my government that are responsible for basic areas of public affairs as well as members of our armed forces in order that you will understand better that the government of Honduras is as one and is asking for cooperation and requiring understanding in its struggle in favor of participatory and pluralistic democracy for an authentic peace for the good of the entire region and unrestricted respect for human dignity. We have nothing to hide because this is a conduct that is proper for a democratic government based on popular sovereignty. We do have a lot to say to the leaders of this country to those who run international organizations as to the social and economic realities of Honduras and the solution of its problems on the operation of its republican institution and under the danger that they might be undermined if the menace of violence is not faced with a genuine spirit of cooperation in favor of peace, of progress and democracy. It is for this reason that we hope for the friendship that the friendship offered to us be frank, realistic and effective as is the content of our own friendship towards you. The present and the future of Honduras depend therefore on a combination of two basic factors self-effort and the honest cooperation from friendly nations and the international community. I have come to this country then with this spirit in order to better guide the path of our conversations and our objectives. With this spirit I bear witness also of my faith in the mass media in the organs of information to which I attribute the virtue of being bulwarks of objective truth of constructed criticism of freedom and of peace. Thank you very much.