Ambassador Kubiske's Speech for the Fourth of July Reception

June 27, 2012

President Lobo, the First Lady Rosa Elena de Lobo, Ambassador Kubiske with husband Dan, and Deputy Chief of Mission Matthias Mitman at the U.S. Independence Day party in Tegucigalpa. (State Dept. Photo)

Good afternoon.

Your excellencies Mr. President Porfirio Lobo Sosa and First Lady Mrs. Rosa Elena de Lobo; your excellency President of the National Congress Juan Orlando Hernandez,

Your excellencies Vice Presidents of Honduras,

Honorable Members of the National Congress,

Honorable Magistrates of the Supreme Courts, Superior Electoral Tribunal and the Superior Accounts Tribunal,

State Ministers, fellow Ambassadors, distinguished guests, colleagues of the Embassy and members of the media:

While we are trying to change the style of this event to make it more informal, and I hope that you enjoy it, please permit me to take a few minutes to be slightly more serious.  This week we celebrate the 236th anniversary of a revolution that changed the world.  For the first time in history, a group of people stood up and demanded that they should decide who would govern their land.

Since that time the United States has grown and changed into the nation you know today.  This change did not happen overnight.  Nor was it easy.  A historian once called us "a nation in evolution."  That's a good description —through time, we have improved human rights in our own country and have continuously adapted to a changing global economy.

In any event, this spirit of evolution —which recognizes the value of each citizen regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, creed, or sexual orientation— reverberates strongly in the five cities we have represented here today.  Let me present them to you.

Dating back to the 1950’s, Tegucigalpa’s sister city New Orleans has been home to many Honduran-Americans who have received an education, started families, and opened businesses.  It now has the third largest concentration of Hondurans in the U.S.  And we all know that New Orleans is famous as a crossroads of many cultures.

Behind you is the city of Detroit.  As an important manufacturing center, this city has been called the "great arsenal of democracy," having attracted immigrants from all corners of the globe.  Encountering obstacles through its evolution, Detroit relies on the diversity of its people to serve as pioneers of development.

It was in Boston where "the shot heard round the world" was fired, signifying the active rebellion of citizens who refused to be governed without having a say in their government.  And even today, Boston serves as a beacon for development and a hub for higher education, finance, law and government.

Nashville is known as the crossroads of American culture where diverse talents meet and blend.  Not only in the field of music, for which Nashville is justifiably famous, but also in business and academia.  The city is a bustling center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries.

Seattle is an epicenter for American aeronautics, manufacturing, technological innovation and biotechnology.  It is the most important U.S. hub for "green" industries and a model for sustainable development.  And, importantly for Honduras, it is where coffee giant Starbucks got its start.  I checked this morning and confirmed that Starbucks serves Honduran coffee!

Each of these cities offers triumphs and has faced challenges in their struggles to develop and grow.  Each city played a unique role in the development of the United States.  Each has a separate personality, with home-grown music and food!  At the same time, they are essential parts of a unified United States.  It is this combination of diversity and integration that makes our country great.

Our commitment to diversity means we keep evolving.  It is vital to search for new perspectives, to reinvent the way we work, live and solve problems.  We continue to use our love of freedom to inspire others around the world, and to support democracy and the rule of law where we can.

It is an honor to be the Ambassador of a "nation in evolution."  Look at the people who work at the Embassy here in Tegucigalpa.  They represent every variation of "America."  And I am proud to be working with this excellent group of men and women.

Since the American Revolution 236 years ago, the main dream of all Americans has been to build a better country that guarantees the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of its citizens.  Through the years we have learned that trust between different social classes and backgrounds all lead to the common good.

And it is for the common good of the Honduran people and the American people that I am here and that we have an Embassy here.  We stand together with Honduras facing the challenges that threaten regional security and the well-being of our peoples.  Of course we have our differences.  But I am convinced that our commitment to our common goals of peace, security and prosperity will see us through.

We want you have fun today.  Please, a little later, visit all 5 cities –hear the music, sample the food, and get your passport stamped!

Mr. President, I'd like to thank you and our other distinguished guests for joining us today to celebrate our Independence Day.  We appreciate the support we receive from your Administration, which has allowed us to work together successfully on the many issues of importance to the United States and Honduras.

And now it is my enormous pleasure to present President Porfirio Lobo Sosa.