Part 2 features a selection of the President's and First Lady's remarks in Chile:
- Remarks by President Obama on Latin America in Santiago, Chile
- Remarks by President Obama and President Sebastian Pinera of Chile at Joint Press Conference
- Toast Remarks by the President at Official Dinner in Santiago, Chile
- Remarks by the First Lady to Renca School
VOA, March 21, 2011:
Obama Proposes New Equal Partnership for the Americas
President Barack Obama has challenged the people of Latin America to work with the United States to build a future marked by equal partnership, shared responsibility for economic progress, and support for democracy and human rights. VOA Senior White House Correspondent Dan Robinson reports that the president spoke Monday in Santiago, Chile, the second stop of a three-nation Latin America tour.
Office of the Press Secretary, March 21, 2011:
Remarks by President Obama on Latin America in Santiago, Chile
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Muchas gracias. Thank you so much. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Please, please, everyone be seated.
Thank you. Buenas tardes. It is a wonderful honor to be here in Santiago, Chile. And I want to, first of all, thank your President, President Pinera, for his outstanding leadership and the hospitality that he’s extended not only to me but also to my wife, my daughters, and, most importantly, my mother-in-law. (Laughter.)
To the people of Santiago, to the people of Chile, thank you so much for your wonderful welcome. And on behalf of the people of the United States, let me thank you for your friendship and the strong bonds between our people.
There are several people that I just want to acknowledge very briefly. We have the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Luis Alberto Moreno, who is here. (Applause.) We also have Alicia Bárcena, who is the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. (Applause.)
Throughout our history, this land has been called “el fin de la tierra” -- the end of the world. But I’ve come here today because in the 21st century this nation is a vital part of our interconnected world. In an age when peoples are intertwined like never before, Chile shows that we need not be divided by race or religion or ethnic conflict. You’ve welcomed immigrants from every corner of the globe, even as you celebrate a proud indigenous heritage.
At a time when people around the world are reaching for their freedoms, Chile shows that, yes, it is possible to transition from dictatorship to democracy -- and to do so peacefully. Indeed, our marvelous surroundings today, just steps from where Chile lost its democracy decades ago, is a testament to Chile’s progress and its undying democratic spirit.
Despite barriers of distance and geography, you’ve integrated Chile into the global economy, trading with countries all over the world and, in this Internet age, becoming the most digitally connected country in Latin America.
And in a world of sometimes wrenching pain -- as we’re seeing today in Japan -- it is the character of this country that inspires. “Our original guiding stars,” said Pablo Neruda, “are struggle and hope.” But, he added, “there is no such thing as a lone struggle, no such thing as a lone hope.” The Chilean people have shown this time and again, including your recovery from the terrible earthquake here one year ago.
Credit for Chile’s success belongs to the Chilean people, whose courage, sacrifices and perseverance built this nation into the leader that it is. And we are very honored to be joined today by four leaders who have guided this nation through years of great progress -- Presidents Aylwin, Frei, Lagos, and of course your current President Pinera. Thank you all, to the former Presidents, for being here, as well as President Pinera. (Applause.)
So I could not imagine a more fitting place to discuss the new era of partnership that the United States is pursuing not only with Chile, but across the Americas. And I’m grateful that we’re joined by leaders and members of the diplomatic corps from across the region.
Within my first 100 days in office, one of my first foreign trips as President, I traveled to Trinidad and Tobago to meet with leaders from across the hemisphere at the Summit of the Americas. And there, I pledged to seek partnerships of equality and shared responsibility, based on mutual interest and mutual respect, but also on shared values.
Now, I know I’m not the first president from the United States to pledge a new spirit of partnership with our Latin American neighbors. Words are easy, and I know that there have been times where perhaps the United States took this region for granted.
Even now, I know our headlines are often dominated by events in other parts of the world. But let’s never forget: Every day, the future is being forged by the countries and peoples of Latin America. For Latin America is not the old stereotype of a region of -- in perpetual conflict or trapped in endless cycles of poverty. The world must now recognize Latin America for the dynamic and growing region that it truly is.
Latin America is at peace. Civil wars have ended. Insurgencies have been pushed back. Old border disputes have been resolved. In Colombia, great sacrifices by citizens and security forces have restored a level of security not seen in decades.
And just as old conflicts have receded, so too have the ideological battles that often fueled them -- the old stale debates between state-run economies and unbridled capitalism; between the abuses of right-wing paramilitaries and left-wing insurgents; between those who believe that the United States causes all the region’s problems and those who believe that the United States ignores all the problems. Those are false choices, and they don’t reflect today’s realities.
Today, Latin America is democratic. Virtually all the people of Latin America have gone from living under dictatorships to living in democracies. Across the region, we see vibrant democracies, from Mexico to Chile to Costa Rica. We’ve seen historic peaceful transfers of power, from El Salvador to Uruguay to Paraguay. The work of perfecting our democracies, of course, is never truly done, but this is the outstanding progress that’s been made here in the Americas.
Today, Latin America is growing. Having made tough but necessary reforms, nations like Peru and Brazil are seeing impressive growth. As a result, Latin America weathered the global economic downturn better than other regions. Across the region, tens of millions of people have been lifted from extreme poverty. From Guadalajara to Santiago to Sao Paolo, a new middle class is demanding more of themselves and more of their governments.
Latin America is coming together to address shared challenges. Chile, Colombia and Mexico are sharing their expertise in security with nations in Central America. When a coup in Honduras threatened democratic progress, the nations of the hemisphere unanimously invoked the Inter-American Democratic Charter, helping to lay the foundation for the return to the rule of law. The contributions of Latin American countries have been critical in Haiti, as has Latin American diplomacy in the lead up to yesterday’s election in Haiti.
And increasingly, Latin America is contributing to global prosperity and security. As longtime contributors to United Nations peacekeeping missions, Latin American nations have helped to prevent conflicts from Africa to Asia. At the G20, nations like Mexico, Brazil, Argentina now have a greater voice in global economic decision-making. Under Mexican leadership, the world made progress at Cancun in our efforts to combat climate change. Nations like Chile have played a leading role in strengthening civil society groups around the world.
So this is the Latin America that I see today -- a region on the move, proud of its progress, and ready to assume a greater role in world affairs. And for all these reasons, I believe that Latin America is more important to the prosperity and security of the United States than ever before. With no other region does the United States have so many connections. And nowhere do we see that more than in the tens of millions of Hispanic Americans across the United States, who enrich our society, grow our economy and strengthen our nation every single day.
And I believe Latin America is only going to become more important to the United States, especially to our economy. Trade between the United States and Latin America has surged. We buy more of your products, more of your goods than any other country, and we invest more in this region than any other country.
For instance, we export more than three times as much to Latin America as we do to China. Our exports to this region -- which are growing faster than our exports to the rest of the world -- will soon support more than 2 million U.S. jobs. In other words, when Latin America is more prosperous, the United States is more prosperous.
But even more than interests, we’re bound by shared values. In each other’s journey we see reflections of our own. Colonists who broke free from empires. Pioneers who opened new frontiers. Citizens who have struggled to expand our nations’ promise to all people -- men and women, white, black and brown. We’re people of faith who must remember that all of us -- especially the most fortunate among us -- must do our part, especially for the least among us. We’re citizens who know that ensuring that democracies deliver for our people must be the work of all.
This is our common history. This is our common heritage. We are all Americans. Todos somos Americanos.
Across the Americas, parents want their children to be able to run and play and know that they’ll come home safely. Young people all desperately want an education. Fathers want the dignity that comes from work, and women want the same opportunities as their husbands. Entrepreneurs want the chance to start that new business. And people everywhere want to be treated with the respect to which every human being is entitled. These are the hopes -- simple yet profound -- that beat in the hearts of millions across the Americas.
But if we’re honest, we’ll also admit that that these dreams are still beyond the reach of too many; that progress in the Americas has not come fast enough. Not for the millions who endure the injustice of extreme poverty. Not for the children in shantytowns and the favelas who just want the same chance as everybody else. Not for the communities that are caught in the brutal grips of cartels and gangs, where the police are outgunned and too many people live in fear.
And despite this region’s democratic progress, stark inequalities endure. In political and economic power that is too often concentrated in the hands of the few, instead of serving the many. In the corruption that too often still stifles economic growth and development, innovation and entrepreneurship. And in some leaders who cling to bankrupt ideologies to justify their own power and who seek to silence their opponents because those opponents have the audacity to demand their universal rights. These, too, are realities that we must face.
Of course, we are not the first generation to face these challenges. Fifty years ago this month, President John F. Kennedy proposed an ambitious Alliance for Progress. It was, even by today’s standards, a massive investment -- billions of U.S. dollars to meet the basic needs of people across the region. Such a program was right -- it was appropriate for that era. But the realities of our time -- and the new capabilities and confidence of Latin America -- demand something different.
President Kennedy’s challenge endures -- “to build a hemisphere where all people can hope for a sustainable, suitable standard of living, and all can live out their lives in dignity and in freedom.” But half a century later, we must give meaning to this work in our own way, in a new way.
I believe that in the Americas today, there are no senior partners and there are no junior partners, there are only equal partners. Of course, equal partnerships, in turn, demands a sense of shared responsibility. We have obligations to each other. And today, the United States is working with the nations of this hemisphere to meet our responsibilities in several key areas.
First, we’re partnering to address the concerns that people across the Americas say they worry about the most -- and that's the security of their families and communities. Criminal gangs and narco-traffickers are not only a threat to the security of our citizens. They’re a threat to development, because they scare away investment that economies need to prosper. And they are a direct threat to democracy, because they fuel the corruption that rots institutions from within.
So with our partners from Colombia to Mexico and new regional initiatives in Central America and the Caribbean, we’re confronting this challenge, together, from every direction. We’ve increased our support -- the equipment, training and technologies -- that security forces, border security and police need to keep communities safe. We’re improving coordination and sharing more information so that those who traffic in drugs and in human beings have fewer places to hide. And we’re putting unprecedented pressure on cartel finances, including in the United States.
But we’ll never break the grip of the cartels and the gangs unless we also address the social and economic forces that fuel criminality. We need to reach at-risk youth before they turn to drugs and crime. So we’re joining with partners across the Americas to expand community-based policing, strengthen juvenile justice systems, and invest in crime and drug prevention programs.
As the nations of Central American develop a new regional security strategy, the United States stands ready to do our part through a new partnership that puts the focus where it should be -- on the security of citizens. And with regional and international partners, we’ll make sure our support is not just well-intentioned, but is well-coordinated and well-spent.
I’ve said before and I will repeat, as President I’ve made it clear that the United States shares and accepts our share of responsibility for drug violence. After all, the demand for drugs, including in the United States, drives this crisis. And that’s why we’ve developed a new drug control strategy that focused on reducing the demand for drugs through education and prevention and treatment. And I would point out that even during difficult fiscal times in the United States, we’ve proposed increasing our commitment to these efforts by some $10 billion this year alone.
We’re also doing more to stem the southbound flow of guns into the region. We’re screening all southbound rail cargo. We’re seizing many more guns bound for Mexico and we’re putting more gunrunners behind bars. And every gun or gunrunner that we take off the streets is one less threat to the families and communities of the Americas.
As we work to ensure the security of our citizens, we’re partnering in a second area -- and that's promoting prosperity and opportunity. I’ve been so impressed with President Pinera’s pledge to lift everyone out of extreme poverty by 2020. That's an ambitious goal and an appropriate goal. And with this trip, I’m working to expand some of the trade and investment that might help achieve this goal.
Across the region, we’re moving ahead with “open skies” agreements to bring our people and businesses closer together. We’re moving forward with our Trans-Pacific Partnership -- which includes Chile and Peru -- to create new trade opportunities in the fast-growing markets of the Asia-Pacific. And as I’ve directed, my administration has intensified our efforts to move forward on trade agreements with Panama and Colombia, consistent with our values and with our interests.
We’re also encouraging the next generation of businesses and entrepreneurs. So we’ll work with the Inter-American Development bank to increase lending. We’ve expanded credit under a new Microfinance Growth Fund for the Americas. We’re supporting reforms to tax systems, which are critical for economic growth and public investment. We’re creating new “Pathways to Prosperity” -- microcredit, entrepreneurship training -- for those who must share in economic growth, including women and members of Afro-Caribbean and indigenous communities.
And we’re coming together, as a hemisphere, to create clean energy jobs and pursue more secure and sustainable energy futures. And if anybody doubts the urgency of climate change, they look -- they should look no further than the Americas -- from the stronger storms in the Caribbean, to glacier melt in the Andes, to the loss of forests and farmland across the region.
Under the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas that I proposed, countries have stepped forward, each providing leadership and expertise. Brazil has expertise in biofuels. Chile in geothermal. Mexico on energy efficiency. El Salvador is connecting grids in Central America to make electricity more reliable. These are exactly the kind of partnerships that we need -- neighbors joining with neighbors to unleash the progress that none of us can achieve alone.
It’s the same philosophy behind two additional initiatives that I’m announcing today, which will help our countries educate and innovate for the future. First, we’re launching a new initiative to harness the power of social media and online networks to help students, scientists, academics and entrepreneurs collaborate and develop the new ideas and products that will keep America -- the Americas competitive in a global economy.
And I’m proud to announce that the United States will work with partners in this region, including the private sector, to increase the number of U.S. students studying in Latin America to 100,000, and the number of Latin America students studying in the United States to 100,000.
Staying competitive also, of course, demands that we address immigration -- an issue that evokes great passions in the United States as well as in the Americas. As President, I’ve made it clear that immigration strengthens the United States. We are a nation of immigrants, which is why I have consistently spoken out against anti-immigrant sentiment. We’re also a nation of laws, which is why I will not waver in my determination to fix our broken immigration system. I’m committed to comprehensive reform that secures our borders, enforces our laws and addresses the millions of undocumented workers who are living in the shadows of the United States.
I believe, though, that this challenge will be with us for a very long time so long as people believe that the only way to provide for their families is to leave their families and head north.
And that’s why the United States has to continue to partner with countries that pursue the broad-based economic growth that gives people and nations a path out of poverty. And that’s what we’re seeing here in Chile. As part of our new approach to development, we’re working with partners, like Guatemala and El Salvador, who are committed to building their own capacity -- from helping farmers improve crop yields to helping health care systems to deliver better care.
Which leads me to the final area where we must continue to partner, and that’s strengthening democracy and human rights. More than 60 years ago, our nations came together in an Organization of American States and declared -- and I quote -- that “representative democracy is an indispensable condition for the stability, peace and development of the region.” A decade ago, we reaffirmed this principle, with an Inter-American Democratic Charter that stated -- and I quote -- “the people of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it.”
Across the Americas, generations, including generations of Chileans, have struggled and sacrificed to give meaning to these words -- ordinary men and women who dared to speak their mind; activists who organized new movements; faith leaders who preached social justice; the mothers of the disappeared who demanded the truth; political prisoners who rose to become presidents; and, even now, Las Damas de Blanco, who march in quiet dignity.
The people of the Americas have shown that there is no substitute for democracy. As governments, we have then an obligation to defend what has been won. So as we mark the 10th anniversary of the Inter-American Democratic Charter this year, let’s reaffirm the principles that we know to be true.
Let’s recommit to defending democracy and human rights in our own countries by strengthening the institutions that democracy needs to flourish -- free and fair elections in which people choose their own leaders; vibrant legislatures that provide oversight; independent judiciaries that uphold the rule of law; a free press that promotes open debate; professional militaries under civilian control; strong civil societies that hold governments accountable; and governments that are transparent and responsive to their citizens. This is what makes a democracy.
And just as we defend democracy and human rights within our borders, let’s recommit to defending them across our hemisphere. I understand, every nation will follow its own path. No nation should impose its will on another. But surely we can agree that democracy is about more than majority rule, that simply holding power does not give a leader the right to suppress the rights of others, and that leaders must maintain power through consent, and not coercion. We have to speak out when we see those principles violated.
Let’s never waver in our support for the rights of people to determine their own future -- and, yes, that includes the people of Cuba. Since taking office, I’ve announced the most significant changes to my nation’s policy towards Cuba in decades. I’ve made it possible for Cuban Americans to visit and support their families in Cuba. We’re allowing Americans to send remittances that bring some economic hope for people across Cuba, as well as more independence from Cuban authorities.
Going forward, we’ll continue to seek ways to increase the independence of the Cuban people, who I believe are entitled to the same freedom and liberty as everyone else in this hemisphere. I will make this effort to try to break out of this history that’s now lasted for longer than I’ve been alive.
But Cuban authorities must take some meaningful actions to respect the basic rights of their own people -- not because the United States insists upon it, but because the people of Cuba deserve it, no less than the people of the United States or Chile or Brazil or any other country deserve it.
The lessons of Latin America, I believe, can be a guide -- a guide for people around the world who are beginning their own journeys toward democracy. There is no one model for democratic transitions. But as this region knows, successful transitions do have certain ingredients. The moral force of nonviolence. Dialogue that’s open and inclusive. The protection of basic rights, such as peaceful expression and assembly. Accountability for past wrongs. And matching political reform with economic reform, because democracy must meet the basic needs and aspirations of people.
With decades of experience, there’s so much Latin America can now share -- how to build political parties and organize free elections; how to ensure peaceful transfers of power; how to navigate the winding paths of reform and reconciliation. And when the inevitable setbacks occur, you can remind people to never lose sight of those guiding stars of which Pablo Neruda spoke -- struggle, but also hope.
Security for our citizens. Trade and development that creates jobs, prosperity and a clean energy future. Standing up for democracy and human rights. These are the partnerships that we can forge together -- here in the Americas but also around the world. And if anyone doubts whether this region has the capacity to meet these challenges, they need to only remember what happened here in Chile only a few months ago.
Their resolve and faith inspired the world -- “Los Treinta y Tres.” I don’t need to tell you the story. You know it well. But it’s worth remembering how this entire nation came together, across government, civilian and military, national and local; across the private sector, with large companies and small shopkeepers donating supplies; and across every segment of Chilean society, people came together to sustain those men down below and their families up at Camp Esperanza. It was a miraculous rescue. It was a tribute to Chilean leadership. And when, finally, Luis Urzua emerged, he spoke for an entire nation when he said, “I am proud to be Chilean.”
Yet something else happened in those two months. The people and governments of Latin America came together to stand with a neighbor in need. And with a Latin American country in the lead, the world was proud to play a supporting role -- sending workers from the United States and Canada, rescue equipment from Europe, communications gear from Asia. And as the miners were lifted to safety, for those joyous reunions, it was a truly global movement, watched and celebrated by more than a billion people.
If ever we needed a reminder of the humanity and the hopes that we share, that moment in the desert was such. When a country like Chile puts its mind to it, there’s nothing you can’t do. When countries across Latin America come together and focus on a common goal, when the United States and others in the world do our part, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish together.
And that is our vision of the Americas. This is the progress we can achieve together. This is the spirit of partnership and equality to which the United States is committed. I am confident that, working together, there is nothing we cannot achieve. Thank you very much. Muchas gracias.
Office of the Press Secretary, March 21, 2011:
Remarks by President Obama and President Sebastian Pinera of Chile at Joint Press Conference
PRESIDENT PINERA: (As translated.) Good afternoon, everyone. Firstly, I would like to cordially and heartily welcome a friend of Chile and a personal friend, President Obama. I think that your visit, President, is very important and has enormous significance for Chile. It’s the first time in more than 20 years that a President of the United States visits our country.
Of course, we've had several multilateral summits of world leaders, and this visit coincides with the celebration of 50 years of the Alliance for Progress that was announced by President Kennedy at the beginning of the ‘60s.
We have had with President Obama a very open, frank, and fruitful conversation, and we have been able to subscribe many agreements of different nature, but they do have something in common. They all contribute to a better life and better quality of life for our peoples -- like trade promotion and to accelerate and perfect the free trade agreement we have with the United States; cooperation in the field of education and English teaching in order to make of Chile bilingual country; collaboration in the developments and efficient use of energies, and cleaner energies in particular -- renewable energies, where Chile has numerous potential; and also collaboration in research technologies and training of our engineers and technicians in nuclear energy.
But I want to be very clear and adamant. Chile is not going to build, nor is it planning to build any nuclear power plants during our government, during our administration. The idea of this agreement is that we may understand much better nuclear technologies, to be able to train our engineers and technicians so that in the future we may make more informed decisions, more intelligent decisions protecting the health and life of our population, the environment, and nature, and also that will allow us to ensure that the operation of our two experimental nuclear power plants be fully, fully safe.
Also we have signed agreements to collaborate in natural disasters, in early warning mechanisms and effective aid and rescue of civil populations. We have much to learn from -- in situations like FEMA in the United States.
Another agreement is something addressing the only renewable resource of modern times -- science, technology and innovation and entrepreneurship -- that we need to restrengthen our countries so as to reach the development states that we are seeking. And then finally the agreements to better protect our nature, our environment.
I want to tell you President Obama that when you announced your visit to Chile, Brazil and El Salvador on the occasion of your State of the Union address, you said you were coming to forge new partnerships for the progress of the Americas, and you said that throughout all the world you were committed to those countries that assume their responsibilities. Frankly, I think that Chile has assumed and will continue to assume its responsibility with our fate, with our region, with our country, and to the extent possible, with the rest of the world.
And as we have been able to evidence in our conversations not only today but also in your country and in Asia, we have discovered that our two nations have a road of collaboration that can be built on rock and not on sand, because we coincide in that which is key -- the values, the principles, the visions. That facilitates the road. And with that we can convincingly embrace this new alliance, this new partnership between the United States of America and the rest of the American countries -- we are all Americans -- an alliance that should be much deeper and forward-looking than the Alliance for Progress. And this partnership, this alliance is one of our times, of our 21st century, of the society of information and technology.
President Obama, Chile has set for itself an ambitious goal: Before the end of this decade to leave under-development behind; to defeat poverty and to build a society of opportunities and assurance for all of its sons and daughters; and also to achieve a strong alliance among equals, with the same rights, obligations of Latin America with the United States. And this is going to be very powerful, very useful in many fields: promotion of world peace, perfecting of democracy, rule of law, and defense of human rights; but also in economic integration where Chile aspires to accelerate, perfect and deepen our free trade agreement with the United States.
Also, we would like to raise our voice to ask for countries like Colombia and Panama also to have free trade agreements with your country and may join in this Trans-Pacific Partnership initiative. It’s going to be a free trade area on both sides of the Pacific Ocean and where we will find the largest free trade market in the world.
Also, we are concerned about the delays and tensions of the Doha Round. I know that the United States is going to make efforts for this to move forward.
And then, on the other hand, I would like to raise to you a much closer collaboration in the field of science, technology, innovation and undertaking, because in modern times free trade has to be not only of goods but of ideas; not only of services but of knowledge; not only of investments but also of technology.
And to also press, Mr. President, we are committed in the struggle against poverty and excessive inequalities in our country and our continent. And we want to keep on collaborating with the U.S. so as to contribute to other Latin American countries. Just like we can learn from them, they can learn from success stories in our country. And in combating the evils of modern society -- fight against drug trafficking, terrorism, global warming, and the proliferation of massive destruction weapons and nuclear weapons.
I was talking with President Obama in -- avoiding this nuclear menace. But it’s not only that a few countries in the world will have nuclear weapons and others not, but to have a world without weapons of mass destruction. This is the common goal we share with President Obama and with all the men and women of goodwill of all of the world.
President Obama, I have read with great attention your words in Cairo, Egypt, for the Arab world, where you proposed a new beginning in the relations between the United States and the Islam world, and also, your words in Accra, Ghana, where you raised a new commitment, a new promise, new commitment with the sub-Saharan African world. And today, the winds of freedom, of democracy, of participation and protection of human rights are stronger than ever, even those countries that had -- it had not existed for many years. This is a great opportunity to have a new alliance between the United States and the Latin America countries.
That is why I would like to tell you that Latin America is more prepared than ever today so as to leave poverty and underdevelopment behind that have been with us for 200 years of independent life, and undertake the adventure of the future of democracy, of freedom, of development, of equality of opportunities. That we may have a continent as we have dreamt it always from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, that will become a land of freedom, of opportunities, of progress, but also a land of fairness and camaraderie as dreamt by the Founding Fathers of that great nation of the United States, like the case of Jefferson, a great patriot like Lincoln, but also like San Martin and O’higgins from our continent.
And the question is a very straightforward one, a very simple one: It’s our challenge. It’s our mission, the mission of the generation of the bicentennial. Because if it’s not now, then when? If we are not the ones, then who?
Then, President Obama, we listen with great attention, with great interest, the message you will deliver in a few hours from the Cultural Center of La Moneda to Latin America and to the whole world.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you very much, President Pinera. Buenes tardes to everyone here.
I want to, first of all, just extend my greetings to the people of Chile, and I am so grateful for not only the generous words, but also the outstanding hospitality that's being shown to me, as well as my family.
I want to begin today by noting that President Pinera and I discussed some urgent events unfolding around the world. Together with our partners, the United States is taking military action to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 and protect the Libyan people.
Across the region, we believe that the legitimate aspirations of people must be met and that violence against civilians is not the answer. And across the Pacific, both Chile and the United States are supporting the Japanese people as they recover from the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami and address the situation in their damaged nuclear facility.
These events remind us that in our interconnected world, the security and prosperity of nations and peoples are intertwined as never before. And no region is more closely linked than the United States and Latin America. And here in the Americas, one of our closest and strongest partners is Chile.
Chile is one of the great success stories of this region. It’s built a robust democracy. It’s been one of the most open and fastest growing economies in the world. The spirit and resilience of the Chilean people, especially after last year’s earthquake, have inspired people across the globe. And in my speech this afternoon, I look forward to paying tribute to Chile’s progress and the lessons it offers as America forges a new era of partnership across the Americas.
I was proud to welcome President Pinera to Washington last year for our Nuclear Security Summit. Mr. President, I want to commend you on your decisive leadership in these first few months of office, and first year of office, a time that's been obviously very difficult and has tested the people of Chile. I want to thank you for the focus and energy that you’ve brought to the partnership between our two countries, which we have strengthened today.
We’re moving ahead with efforts to expand trade and investment, as the President mentioned. Under our existing trade agreement, trade between the United States and Chile has more than doubled, creating new jobs and opportunities in both our countries. But I believe and President Pinera believes that there’s always more we can do to expand our economic cooperation.
So today we recommitted ourselves to fully implementing our free trade agreement to include protections of intellectual property so our businesses can innovate and stay competitive. We agreed to build on the progress we’re making towards a Trans-Pacific Partnership so we can seize the full potential of trade in the Asia Pacific, especially for our small and medium businesses.
It’s my hope that, along with our other partners, we can reach an agreement on the framework for the TPP by the end of this year, an agreement that can serve as a model for the 21st century.
We’re expanding the clean energy partnerships that are key to creating green jobs and addressing climate change, which is evident in the glacier melt in this region. As a member of the Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas that I proposed, Chile is already sharing its expertise with solar with the region.
I want to commend President Pinera for agreeing to take another step, hosting a new center to address glacier melt in the Andes. In addition, a new U.S.-Chile Energy Business Council will encourage collaborations between our companies in areas like energy efficiency and renewable technologies.
Our governments have agreed to share our experience in dealing with natural disasters, an area, of course, where Chile has enormous expertise and which is critical to recovery and economic reconstruction.
The President and I discussed our shared commitment to expanding educational exchanges among our students who can learn from each other and bring our countries even closer together. And in my speech today, I’ll announce an ambitious new initiative to increase student exchanges between the United States and Latin America, including Chile.
Even as we deepen cooperation between our two countries, I want to take this opportunity to commend Chile for the leadership role that it’s increasingly playing across the Americas. Chile is a vital contributor to the United Nations mission in Haiti, where we agree that yesterday’s election is an opportunity to accelerate recovery and reconstruction efforts, and the Chilean legislature recently passed strong legislation to combat the scourge of human trafficking.
Under President Pinera’s leadership, Chile is taking a new step today. Mr. President, I want to thank you for offering to share Chile’s security expertise with Central American nations as they fight back against criminal gangs and narco-traffickers. I’m also pleased that our two governments will be working together to promote development in the Americas.
At the same time, Chile is assuming more a leadership role beyond the Americas. As part of last year’s Nuclear Security Summit, Chile took the bold step of giving up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Chile is the first Latin American nation to join a new international effort to strengthen civil society groups that are under threat. And as a member of the U.N. Human Rights Council, Chile has joined with us in standing up against human rights abuses in Iran and in Libya.
In short, Mr. President, today we’ve proven again that when the United States and Chile work together in a spirit of mutual interest and mutual respect, it’s not only good for the peoples of our nations, I believe it’s good for the region and it’s good for the world. And I’m confident that our partnership will only grow stronger in the years to come. And I’m very much grateful for the wonderful hospitality that you’re showing me and my delegation.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Q: President Pinera, President Obama, good afternoon. President Obama, you have emphasized and highlighted the economic management of Chile, the leadership in the region -- those were your words -- and even the successful transitioning to democracy in the difficult years of the ‘90s. However, in Chile, President Obama, there are some open wounds of the dictatorship of General Pinochet. And so in that sense, leaders, political leaders, leaders of the world, of human rights, even MPs (members of parliament), the son of the murdered Orlando Letelier, foreign minister, have said that many of those wounds have to do with the United States. I ask you, justice is investigating cases of Allende and the death of President Eduardo Frei Montalba. In that new speech that you will announce, do you include that the U.S. is willing to collaborate with those judicial investigations, even that the United States is willing to ask for forgiveness for what it did in those very difficult years in the ‘70s in Chile?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, on the specific question of how we can work with the Chilean government, any requests that are made by Chile to obtain more information about the past is something that we will certainly consider and we would like to cooperate. I think it’s very important for all of us to know our history. And obviously the history of relations between the United States and Latin America have at times been extremely rocky and have at times been difficult.
I think it’s important, though, for us, even as we understand our history and gain clarity about our history, that we’re not trapped by our history. And the fact of the matter is, is that over the last two decades we’ve seen extraordinary progress here in Chile and that has not been impeded by the United States but, in fact, has been fully supported by the United States.
So I can’t speak to all of the policies of the past. I can speak certainly to the policies of the present and the future. And as President of the United States, what I know is that our firm commitment to democracy, our firm commitment to eradicating poverty, our full commitment to broad-based and socially inclusive development, our full support of the robust, open markets that have developed here in Chile and the work that President Pinera and his predecessor, President Bachelet, have done in order to transform the economic situation here -- those are all things that the United States strongly supports.
And so, again, it’s important for us to learn from our history, to understand our history, but not be trapped by it -- because we’ve got a lot of challenges now and, even more importantly, we have challenges in the future that we have to attend to.
Q: Mr. President, Senor Presidente, muchas gracias. Sir, how do you square your position that Colonel Qaddafi has lost legitimacy and must go against the limited objective of this campaign, which does not demand his removal? If Colonel Qaddafi is killing his own people, is it permissible to let him stay in power? And if I may add, do you have any regret, sir, about undertaking this mission while you’re on foreign soil? And do you have the support of the Arab people in this yet?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Okay. First of all, I think I’m going to embarrass Jim by letting everyone know that Jim’s mother is Chilean, and so this is a little bit of a homecoming. You were born in Chile, am I right?
Q: Yes, sir. It’s a delight to be here. Thank you.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Fantastic. So I thought everybody should know that. And also, I think that for all the Chilean press, you don’t need to take Jim’s example by asking three questions, pretending it’s one. (Laughter.)
Q: One subject.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: First of all, I think it’s very easy to square our military actions and our stated policies. Our military action is in support of a international mandate from the Security Council that specifically focuses on the humanitarian threat posed by Colonel Qaddafi to his people. Not only was he carrying out murders of civilians but he threatened more. He said very specifically, we will show no mercy to people who lived in Benghazi.
And in the face of that, the international community rallied and said we have to stop any potential atrocities inside of Libya, and provided a broad mandate to accomplish that specific task. As part of that international coalition, I authorized the United States military to work with our international partners to fulfill that mandate.
Now, I also have stated that it is U.S. policy that Qaddafi needs to go. And we got a wide range of tools in addition to our military efforts to support that policy. We were very rapid in initiating unilateral sanctions and then helping to mobilize international sanctions against the Qaddafi regime. We froze assets that Qaddafi might have used to further empower himself and purchase weapons or hire mercenaries that might be directed against the Libyan people.
So there are a whole range of policies that we are putting in place that has created one of the most powerful international consensuses around the isolation of Mr. Qaddafi, and we will continue to pursue those. But when it comes to our military action, we are doing so in support of U.N. Security Resolution 1973, that specifically talks about humanitarian efforts. And we are going to make sure that we stick to that mandate.
I think it’s also important, since we’re on the topic, that I have consistently emphasized that because we’re working with international partners, after the initial thrust that has disabled Qaddafi’s air defenses, limits his ability to threaten large population centers like Benghazi, that there is going to be a transition taking place in which we have a range of coalition partners -- the Europeans, members of the Arab league -- who will then be participating in establishing a no-fly zone there.
And so there is going to be a transition taking place in which we are one of the partners among many who are going to ensure that that no-fly zone is enforced and that the humanitarian protection that needs to be provided continues to be in place.
With respect to initiating this action while I was abroad, keep in mind that we were working on very short time frames, and we had done all the work and it was just a matter of seeing how Qaddafi would react to the warning that I issued on Friday.
He, despite words to the contrary, was continuing to act aggressively towards his civilians. After a consultation with our allies, we decided to move forward. And it was a matter of me directing Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen that the plan that had been developed in great detail extensively prior to my departure was put into place.
Jim, I’ve forgotten if they were any other elements of that question. But I’ve tried to be as thorough as possible.
Q: Arab support, sir.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, look, the Arab League specifically called for a no-fly zone before we went to the United Nations. And that was I think an important element in this overall campaign.
Q: But will they be part of the mission?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Absolutely. We are in consultations as we speak. As I said, there are different phases to the campaign. The initial campaign, we took a larger role because we’ve got some unique capabilities. Our ability to take out, for example, Qaddafi’s air defense systems are much more significant than some of our other partners. What that does then is it creates the space; it shapes the environment in which a no-fly zone can actually be effective.
It was also important to make sure that we got in there quickly so that whatever advances were being made on Benghazi could be halted, and we could send a clear message to Qaddafi that he needed to start pulling his troops back.
Now, keep in mind, we’ve only been in this process for two days now, and so we are continuing to evaluate the situation on the ground. I know the Pentagon and our Defense Department will be briefing you extensively as this proceeds. But the core principle that has to be upheld here is that when the entire international community almost unanimously says that there’s a potential humanitarian crisis about to take place, that a leader who has lost his legitimacy decides to turn his military on his own people, that we can’t simply stand by with empty words; that we have to take some sort of action.
I think it’s also important to note that the way that the U.S. took leadership and managed this process ensures international legitimacy and ensures that our partners, members of the international coalition are bearing the burden of following through on the mission, as well. Because, as you know, in the past there have been times where the United States acted unilaterally or did not have full international support, and as a consequence typically it was the United States military that ended up bearing the entire burden.
Now, last point I’ll make on this: I could not be prouder of the manner in which the U.S. military has performed over the last several days. And it’s a testament to the men and women in uniform who, when they're given a mission, they execute and do an outstanding job.
But, obviously, our military is already very stretched and carries large burdens all around the world. And whenever possible for us to be able to get international cooperation -- not just in terms of words, but also in terms of planes and pilots and resources -- that's something that we should actively seek and embrace, because it relieves the burden on our military and it relieves the burden on U.S. taxpayers to fulfill what is an international mission and not simply a U.S. mission.
Q: Thank you, sir.
Q: Mr. President, can I ask you -- I will ask you in English -- I'd like you to answer to the response that the President gave regarding the wounds that still linger in this country, and the need that some of the people in this country want for an apology from the United States, perhaps, and certainly for assistance in any investigations that are still ongoing here. Thank you.
PRESIDENT PINERA: (As translated.) The coup d’etat existed in Chile 40 years ago. We had a long and profound conversation with President Obama. We didn't have much time to cover all the issues of the future, so we didn't so back into the past.
But I can tell you that Chile, our government and this President believes, firmly believes in the self-determination of peoples, and firmly believes in the rule of law and respect for human rights. For that reason, when we had evidence that in the case of President Frei Montalba, there could have been a homicide, our government submitted a claim, a complaint, is party to it, and it’s collaborating to investigate those responsible for the death of the former President Frei Montalba. And once the judiciary ascertains those responsibilities, they will have to assume the penalties and punishment according to our rule of law.
In the case of President Allende, we don't have the same basis. But if we had them, we would act exactly in the same way and -- or the same presumptions.
And I would like to say finally that today, the subject of democracy, of human rights has no borders, does not recognize any border, and that is progress of this 21st century civilization.
And that is why Chile supports the initiative of the United Nations through its Security Council, NATO and the Arab League to do all that is possible to end a true carnage, killing of civilians in Libya. And I think that is a responsibility of the international community, because as I said a while ago, human rights do not and should not respect borders. The responsibility is of all of us in each and every place of the world, whatever the circumstances involved to violate human rights. And in my view, a person that has bombarded his own people does not deserve to keep on being the ruler of that people.
Q: Mr. President, you asked the Chilean press not to take advantage and make a several-part question, but you didn't mention the international press. (Laughter.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Are you a lawyer or a journalist? (Laughter.)
Q: Well, we try to be precise. (Laughter.) So on Libya, when you say that you will be transferring command, when are you thinking of transferring command? And would NATO be the preferred partner to take over that command? And the second part of the question is that you have said that you want an alliance among equals with the peoples of the Americas. What deliverables are you going to go for after this trip to achieve it?
(As translated.) And, Senor Presidente Pinera, what is the content of this partnership so as to meet the goals of the region?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, with respect to Libya, obviously, the situation is evolving on the ground. And how quickly this transfer takes place will be determined by the recommendations of our commanding officers that the mission has been completed -- the first phase of the mission has been completed.
As I said, our initial focus is taking out Libyan air defenses so that a no-fly zone can operate effectively and aircraft and pilots of the coalition are not threatened when they're maintaining the no-fly zone. The second aspect of this is making sure that the humanitarian aspects of the mission can be met.
But let me emphasize that we anticipate this transition to take place in a matter of days and not a matter of weeks. And so I would expect that over the next several days we’ll have more information, and the Pentagon will be fully briefing the American people, as well as the press on that issue.
NATO will be involved in a coordinating function because of the extraordinary capacity of that alliance. But I will leave it to Admiral Mullen and those who are directly involved in the operation to describe to you how exactly that transfer might be
-- might take place.
With respect to this new partnership, I don't want to give you all my best lines from my speech; otherwise no one will come. (Laughter.) But the thing that I’m most excited about is the fact that in a country like Chile, it’s not just a matter of what we can give to Chile; it’s also a matter of what Chile can offer us.
Chile has done some very interesting work around clean energy, so we set up a clean energy partnership. We think we’re doing terrific work on alternative energy sources, but there may be initiatives that are taking place here in Chile that might be transferrable to the United States.
On education, obviously we have a long history of public education and our universities I think are second to none. But we want to make sure that in this increasingly integrated world, American students aren’t just looking inwards, we’re also looking outwards. And so the idea of us setting up a broad-based exchange program with the Americas I think makes an enormous difference.
Security cooperation: The plague of narco-traffickers in the region is something that we’re all too familiar with. And obviously we have the example of Colombia that has made great strides in bringing security to a country that had been ravaged by drug wars. What lessons can we take and then apply them to smaller countries in Central America, for example, that are going through these same struggles?
For Chile, the United States, Colombia, other countries to work in concert to help to train effective security operations in Central America to deal with narco-traffickers is a kind of collaboration that would not be as effective if the United States were operating on its down.
So I think across the spectrum of issues that we care about deeply, and that Chile care about deeply, what will characterize this new partnership is the fact that it’s a two-way street. This is not just a situation where a highly developed country is helping a poor and impoverished country; this is a situation where an up-and-coming regional power that has a strong voice in international affairs is now collaborating with us to hopefully help greater peace and prosperity for the region and the world.
PRESIDENT PINERA: (As translated.) No doubt that insofar as integration of the Americas, we are lagging behind. And the best way to illustrate this is to compare what has happened in America with what happened in Europe.
Last century, the Europeans had two world wars with a toll of more than 70 million casualties. But at some point, they had the wisdom, the courage to abandon the rationale of Line Maginot, or Siegfried Line and to embrace Maastricht Treaty. With the leadership and the vision of such renowned statesmen like Adenauer and De Gasperi, Housman, Truman -- they began to build what today we know of as European Union.
And in America, we are much behind that. In America, 20 years ago, President Bush, father, raised the idea of a free trade area from Alaska to “Fire Land” (Tierra del Fuego) generating a lot of enthusiasm in the region, but it never came true, never materialized.
And so the time is right now because Latin America has been for too long the continent of hope or of the future, but a continent cannot be a promise forever. And so we are of age now and we need to fulfill our mission. Therefore the main task of Latin America is to recover the lost time and tap all of its potential.
We have lots of things in common with the U.S. -- vast, generous territory; homogenous peoples; hardworking people. We don’t have racial problems that affect some African countries, or the wars that raged in Europe, nor the religious conflicts of Europe itself. And therefore Latin America is called to compromise, or rather commitment with its own fate.
And therefore we are looking forward to President Obama’s words. We are left-handed -- we have many coincidences -- we studied in Harvard, both of us. We are sportsmen. President Obama continues to be a basketball player; I was in my time, as well. I think the First Lady of the U.S. is very good-looking, and President Obama has said the same about the First Lady of Chile. There are plenty of coincidences, but the most important one is the one we’ll find this afternoon.
And modestly, if I could suggest to President Obama, we hope to have a partnership that is -- one where we have all responsibilities and not an existential alliance because existentialism has never been enough to face the major problems, but rather a partnership of collaboration between Latin America and the United States sharing values, principles, and a common vision.
And that alliance should be comprehensive. It should reach out to the fields of democracy, freedom, rule of law, defense of human rights. And I think that we have to improve the democratic charter of OAS. It should also open up the doors to the free trade of goods and services, and faster than what we have done hereto.
And in addition to that, to include those subjects which are the true pillars of the 21st century -- quality of education, science, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship. Therein lie the pillars for Latin America so as leave poverty and antidevelopment behind.
And we have so much to learn from a country like the United States, that, in its 230 years of independent life, has really given true evidence of being an innovative country and that has made the largest contribution to progress of mankind.
And thus, Latin America and the United States have a lot to gain from this alliance, but also has to reach out to two of the most important challenges of the 21st century: energy, to have clean, safe renewable energies; and water -- if global warming keeps on going, could be the most scarce resource of our century.
And also face the major problems of modern society that cannot be faced unilaterally -- organized crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, global warming, the subject of world security. It can no longer be faced individually. We need to work jointly together.
And in our view, that will call for a new international order that will replace that which emerged in Bretton Woods after the Second World War, and to be appropriate and adaptive to the needs and challenges of the 21st century, where the only constant thing we have is change.
So the time is right to recover all that lost time. And the time is here so that finally this relationship of encounters -- these encounters of shaking hands, for that to be in the past. And let us initiate a new era of collaboration, reencountering friendly, effectively, concretely, that will truly face and solve the major problems; that will also open up the doors to tap the main opportunities. This society of knowledge and information is knocking on our doors.
Latin America was late to the Industrial Revolution. We cannot be late in this tremendous revolution, which is so much deeper, which is that of knowledge and information. And it has been very generous with the countries that want to embrace it, but very cool with those countries that do not tap it.
No child should be left behind -- I’ve heard this from President Obama. And here, we say in Latin America, no country should be left behind.
Thank you. (Applause.)
Office of the Press Secretary, March 21, 2011:
Toast Remarks by the President at Official Dinner in Santiago, Chile
THE PRESIDENT: Buenas noches. (Applause.) President Pinera, First Lady, former Presidents Aylwin, Frei, Lagos; to all the distinguished guests here tonight, especially the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Jose Miguel Insulza. It is wonderful to be here. I have to say that because I've already given one speech tonight, I've already made remarks at the press -- I'm going to keep my remarks tonight very brief, because otherwise you won't invite me back. (Laughter.)
But on our flight into Chile today, we were all struck by the incredible beauty of the Andes. We looked out the window, Michelle and my daughters and my staff, and we marveled at the awesome ranges and the snow-capped peaks. It was truly spectacular.
And it called to mind something once said by a beloved daughter of both our countries, the novelist Isabel Allende. She said, “I come from a land of mountains, where friendship is a blood pact…hospitality is sacred, [and] bonds unbreakable.”
President Pinera, First Lady, to you and the people of Santiago and of Chile, thank you for the extraordinary hospitality that you have shown both me, Michelle and our daughters. And thank you for the friendship and the strong bonds between our people, which indeed are unbreakable.
Given the events that are unfolding half a world away, in Middle East and North Africa, I hope you’ll give me a brief moment to reflect on the broader meaning of the times that we live in.
We gather in a palace that tells the story of a nation, and its relationship with my own. For many years, this was a symbol of how Chile lost its democracy. But today, it stands as a testament to how Chile regained and rebuilt your democracy -— an achievement for which I know all Chileans are extraordinarily proud.
In this sense, you’ve fulfilled the vision of the liberator, Bolivar, who long ago predicted, “Chile can be free.” Chile can be free. And as I said in my speech today, at a time when others around the world are reaching for their own rights and struggling for their own sense of dignity, Chile sends a powerful message -—you, too, can write a new chapter in the story of your nation; you, too, can be free.
Some have called Chile’s progress a miracle. But as you know so well, there was nothing miraculous about it. It’s taken courage and sacrifice and resolve, over many years. This, too, is Chile’s lesson for the world. Democracy can’t be imposed from the outside. It must spring from within, from the hearts and souls of those who seek it and are willing to work for it.
There’s a saying that goes, “Tell me who is by your side and I’ll tell you who you are.” And so I would like to propose a toast -- I hope they didn’t mix up our glasses -- (laughter.)
To the people and progress of Chile —- the United States of America is proud to stand with you as partners. And to what our partnership says about who we are —- two proud nations bound by the conviction that change is possible, that every nation can be free, and that there can be no denying the dignity and human rights that are so eloquently expressed in our Constitution and are now lived out in Chile today. Salud. (Applause.)
Office of the First Lady, March 21, 2011:
Remarks by the First Lady to Renca School
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. Hola. Hello, everybody. Es un placer estar aquí con ustedes. (Applause.) Gracias. (Applause.)
Before I begin today, I just want to say that our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of Japan as they begin to rebuild after the devastating earthquake and tsunami over a week ago.
Here in Chile, you know the kind of damage these disasters can cause. You’ve experienced it many times yourselves. You know how difficult a time this is for so many families. And so my heart goes out to all those in Japan, here in Chile, in the United States and around the world for those who have lost loved ones.
But even with everything that’s going on in the world, it is a pleasure and an honor to be in this beautiful country, at this wonderful school, with all of you.
I want to start by thanking Camila for that very, very kind introduction.
We are honored today to be joined by the First Lady of Chile, Cecilia Morel.
I also want to recognize the Minister of Education, Joaquin Lavín, and the mayor here, Vicky Barahona, and your principal, Palmira Cosgrove.
And my husband and I, we are so grateful to everyone who has made us feel so welcome here.
I’m especially excited to be here at the Condor Summit Bicentennial School, because I know how special this place is. I know that this is the very first bicentennial high school of academic excellence in the country. It is a place where students like all of you can learn from the best teachers, where you can use the latest technology, where you can develop the skills you need to reach your potential. And I know that as the first graduating class, you all are breaking down barriers. You represent the future, not just of this school, but of your entire country.
So I’m here because I want to see all the amazing things that you’re doing. And I want to see the progress that you’re making.
But there is another reason why I love to visit schools like this and to talk with students like all of you when I travel. And that is because I see a little bit of myself in all of you.
You see, it wasn’t so long ago that my husband and I were young people just like all of you, dreaming the same dreams, facing the same challenges that all of you are.
I grew up in a working-class neighborhood in the city of Chicago. Chicago is the third largest city in America, and about half the size of Santiago. My father worked in the boiler room of a water treatment plant. And for most of my childhood, my mother stayed home to take care of my brother and me.
Our family did not have a lot of money. We did not live in a fancy neighborhood. We lived in a teeny, little apartment on the second floor of my great-aunt and uncle’s home, and my brother and I, we shared a bedroom for as long as I can remember.
But even though we didn’t have much, we always had a roof over our heads, we always had food in our stomachs. We had a strong family. Our house was filled with warmth and laughter and a lot of love.
My parents were hard workers who made great sacrifices to give my brother and me the opportunities they never had. See, that was their dream -- to give us a better life and more opportunities than they could have ever imagined. And in our family, that meant one thing: getting a good education. Growing up, there was never any question in my parents’ minds that we would go to college.
My parents and grandparents were some of the smartest people I have ever known, but they never had the chance to complete college themselves. That’s why they were so determined to give me and my brother that chance. And they always told us that even if we weren’t rich, we were just as smart, we were just as capable as anyone else.
And more than anything, that was my parents’ greatest gift to us. They taught us that if we dreamed big enough, and if we worked hard enough, anything was possible.
And in my country, we call that the American Dream. And I think that’s also true right here in Chile. It’s the belief that whether you live in a little apartment in Chicago, or right here in Renca, none of us has to be limited by our circumstances.
And that dream has guided my life, and I hope it will guide each of you as you leave this school and start building your own lives.
Now, I’m not saying that the road ahead will be easy. Some of you may come from families just like mine, where you’re the first one to go to a school like this, or the first one to go to college. So maybe you’ve heard people doubting whether you’ve got what it takes to succeed.
Maybe if you’re a girl, maybe you’re hearing people say that you can’t compete with the boys; that you can’t do well in school and build a career for yourself. Maybe those voices come from inside your own head sometimes -- voices telling you that it’s too hard, or that the odds are stacked too high against you.
And believe me, I know that feeling. I do. When I was in high school, I watched my older brother apply and get into Princeton University, one of the most prestigious universities in the country. He was the first one in my immediate family to go to a college like that, but he also played basketball there.
Yet when it was my turn to apply to college, and I dreamed of joining my brother at Princeton, there were people who told me that I would never be accepted, and that if I did get in, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the kids who were wealthier or who’d gone to better high schools than I did.
And soon, I started to doubt myself. I started to wonder whether those people might be right. But then I thought, well, I know I’m smarter than my brother. So I worked harder. I was more determined. I was more focused. I used those voices of doubt as a source of motivation for me.
And you know what, I graduated from Princeton with departmental honors in sociology. I went to law school. I built a career and I raised a family. I was able to accomplish all of this because I listened to the people who cared about me rather than those trying to cut me down. I listened to people who believed in me, and told me I could do anything I set my mind to.
And that’s what each of you is doing every day at this school. You’re proving the voices of doubt wrong. You’re proving that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about you. The only thing that matters is what you think about yourself and what you’re willing to do to achieve your goals.
And that’s why I was so proud to hear that when this school first opened, so many of you came two weeks early so that you could prepare yourselves to succeed at this school.
And I’m sure there were a lot of things you would have rather been doing those last precious days before school started. But you came anyway and you studied hard because, as Mayor Barahona said, and this was her quote: “Big dreams also require big efforts.”
Big dreams also require big efforts. And that’s a lesson I learned a long time ago, and one that many of you have learned at this school, because the truth is, building a better life for yourself is never easy. No one achieves success overnight.
Pablo Neruda wasn’t born knowing how to write beautiful poetry. His father worked for the railroad, and disapproved of his interest in writing and literature. But when Pablo was a teenager, he met the principal of a local girls school, who gave him books to read and she encouraged him to become a poet. And he went on to win the Nobel Prize.
Marcelo Salas didn’t start out as the best football player in Chile. He grew up in Temuco. And every day, he would get up two hours earlier than his friends to go outside and practice his free kicks by himself. Years later, those skills would help him lead Chile in the World Cup.
My husband hasn’t always been the President of the United States. He was raised by a single mother, with the help from his grandparents. And they often struggled to make ends meet. And he was not always the best student. But his mother was determined to send him to college, so she woke him up early every morning to practice math problems before she went to work. And it is that determination that helped him become the man he is today.
So the truth is that anything worth having takes time, it takes effort, it takes determination. So for all of you here today, the question is, what does that mean for you? Well, it means paying attention in class every day. It means listening to your teachers. It means doing every assignment, and always, always doing your very best. It means taking some risks, it means trying something new, it means trying something hard, not being afraid to make mistakes. And it means asking questions when you don’t understand something, because that’s really how you learn.
As the great poet Gabriela Mistral once wrote, and these are her words: How sad the world would be if all was already done. If there was no rosebush to plant, no enterprise to undertake. Do not limit yourselves to easy tasks.
And then, after you’ve done all that, after you’ve asked all those questions, after you’ve taken control of your own destiny and pulled yourselves up, then I want you all to look back and to pull someone else along after you.
Once you’ve succeeded, I want you to help someone else succeed -- maybe that’s a brother, or a sister, maybe it’s a neighbor, maybe it’s a classmate -- because none of us can fulfill our dreams on our own. For those of us fortunate enough to reach our goals, it is our obligation to help someone else do the same, and it is never too early to start helping others.
So I know the journey ahead may not be easy. And I know that many of you may be worried about what the future holds and whether you’ll be able to succeed here at this school and then in college.
But I also know something else. I know you can do it. I believe in you. My husband believes in you. And we’re not alone. Your country believes in you. That’s why the hillside says “Renca La Lleva.” (Laughter.) “Renca Rocks.” (Applause.) And that’s why this school was built.
President Piñera said, “It is in the classroom where we’re going to determine our success or our failure as a country.” And he’s right. Pretty soon, the world will be looking to all of you to make the discoveries and to build the businesses and to heal the divisions that will shape Chile and the world for decades to come.
Your teachers believe in you. I understand that here at the Condor Summit Bicentennial School, every grade is named after one of Chile’s highest mountain peaks. Is that right? And that is no accident because it symbolizes the heights your teachers know you can reach if you put your mind to it. I understand one of your teachers said, and this is a quote, “I want [my students] to understand that our present is the consequence of the past, but that a better future is in their hands.”
And then there are your parents, and the many other people who love and care about you. They believe in you too. That’s why so many of them have sacrificed so much, helping you get to school in the morning, making sure you do your homework at night, and doing everything they can to give you a chance at a brighter future.
President Piñera, your teachers, your parents, my husband and I, all of us, we believe in you. So the only thing left is for you to believe in yourself.
And I know that Valeria Castro, she believes in herself. I understand that Valeria is from Lo Prado, and she gets up at 5:30 every morning to come to this school. But she doesn’t complain, because she wants to be a nurse. You see, Valeria has cared for her sick grandfather for years, I understand. And when she heard there was a new school being built here in Renca, she registered for the admissions test and she passed with flying colors, because she knows what it’s like to need help, and she wants to make a difference.
And then there’s Daniel Olave. He knows that feeling, too, I understand. He lives in El Bosque, which is an hour and a half away from here. Daniel’s older brother lost his life in an act of violence. And after grieving with his family, he vowed that he would never let a tragedy like that happen to anyone else. So he became a fireman. And sometimes that means he goes a full night without sleep because he’s on the streets responding to emergencies. But he doesn’t mind. And he’s here at this school today so he can one day become a paramedic, and save lives every day.
And then there’s Jonathan Navarrete. When Jonathan was growing up, his parents told him that they could no longer afford his school expenses. But rather than dropping out, Jonathan followed the advice of his history teacher and moved to Santiago, to a new city and unfamiliar city, and he lived with a relative so he could continue his education. No one in his family finished school, but he hopes to be the first one to graduate from college. And here in Renca, Jonathan is one step closer to making that dream a reality.
So these are the kind of stories that inspire me. You all are the kind of young people who make me believe that our future is in good hands. And even though the road ahead won’t always be easy, I hope that you will never give up.
I hope that you will never forget just how many people have sacrificed for you and believe in you and want to see you succeed.
I hope that you know, deep in your hearts, that you have everything it takes to succeed, you have the intelligence, you have the passion, you have the courage, you have determination, everything you need to fulfill every last one of your dreams.
So I hope that you all keep pushing, not just yourselves but you keep pushing one another. I hope that you’ll continue to work as a community, that you support each other, that you encourage each other, that you help one another as you move up.
And on those days that will come that you wonder whether the effort is worth it, on those days when those voices of doubt start creeping back into your head, I just want you to think of my story, I want you to think of my husband’s story, and the story of so many others who have succeeded in the face of seemingly impossible odds, and know that “Yes You Can,” “Si Tu Puedes.”
And if you do that, I can’t wait to see all the good that all of you will do for your country and for our world in the months and years ahead.
Gracias. Thank you so much. God bless you. (Applause.)