Road Opening in Ajuterique, Honduras

Distinguished mayors and governors, Ladies and gentlemen, Muchas gracias por su bienvenida. ¡Es mi honor estar con ustedes hoy!

I have come to Honduras to mark the official end of the compact between Honduras and the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation.  The Obama administration’s vision for development calls for partnering with countries to invest in economic growth and achieve results.  This is exactly what MCC and Honduras have done.  Our partnership has worked to reduce poverty and promote economic growth well into the future.

Here, in Ajuterique, we are able to see just how our partnership is making a tangible difference. 

• This important road, rehabilitated with MCC funds, allows communities to access markets and key services with greater ease and efficiency.  I am pleased to be here to witness this road opening and to celebrate all the investments in the Comayagua Valley that will promote greater trade and commerce within Honduras and abroad.
• We see progress in the lives of farmers who benefitted from the technical training provided through MCC.  Equipped with these new abilities—along with improved roads—Honduran farmers are boosting their productivity, earning more income, and creating a better life for themselves and their families.

Let me personally thank each and every worker, supplier, and farmer who participated in these projects.  I especially want to thank each mayor and governor involved, including those who are here today.  Your vigilant involvement ensured that the MCC-Honduras partnership delivered what it promised.  Your persistent advocacy for the people you represent demonstrated your commitment to results.  Here we see local accountability and good governance at work, creating tangible opportunities for economic growth. 

And, to the people of Ajuterique and Lejamaní —and all the residents of the Comayagua Valley—you are the ones benefitting from the MCC-Honduras compact.  The new skills you have acquired and the new infrastructure you will use provide a strong foundation for self-sufficient, long-term growth that will improve the quality of life for you and for your children. 

Congratulations to you all on the great achievements you have made through the MCC-Honduras compact in this wonderful part of your country.  It is my hope that the progress before us will be sustained and create greater opportunity, growth, and prosperity here and throughout all of Honduras. 

¡Muchas gracias!
¡Que Dios bendiga la Valle de Comayagua!