THE
PRESIDENT: Thank you. Boa tarde. Thank you for coming. This is my first
trip to Brazil, and Laura and I are really pleased to be here in your
capital city. We've had a magnificent stay, had a great visit with
President Lula. It's an important visit because Brazil and the United
States are close friends. And that's the way it should be. Plus the
President and the First Lady gave us an unbelievably good barbeque.
(Laughter.) I also commend the President for his commitment to improving
the lives of the people here in Brazil.
Our two nations share many things in common. We are both
children of the New World, founded in empire and fulfilled in
independence. We're united by history and geography. We share the
conviction that the future of our hemisphere must be a future of justice
and freedom.
Only a generation ago, this was a continent plagued by military
dictatorship and civil war. Yet the people of this continent defied the
dictators, and they claimed their liberty. We saw the dramatic evidence
at the Summit of the Americas that President Lula and I just attended.
The delegates from 34 countries that came to this conference all
represent democratic governments.
Freedom is the gift of the Almighty to every man and woman in this
world -- and today this vision is the free consensus of a free Americas.
It is a vision that is written into the founding document of the
Organization of American States, which calls this hemisphere -- calls on
the hemisphere "to offer to man a land of liberty, and a favorable
environment for the ... realization of his just aspirations." It is the
vision that is given clear direction in the Inter-American Democratic
Charter, which declares "the peoples of the Americas have a right to
democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend
it." And it is a vision that puts what was once a distant dream within
our reach: an Americas wholly free and democratic and at peace with
ourselves and our neighbors.
As the largest democracy in South America, Brazil is a leader -- and
today Brazil is exercising its leadership across the globe. In Africa,
Brazil is working to defeat the scourge of HIV/AIDS -- by partnering
with America to improve treatment and care and prevention in
Portuguese-speaking nations like Mozambique. In this hemisphere, Brazil
leads the coalition of the United Nations peacekeeping forces who are
helping to restore peace and stability in Haiti. And here at home,
Brazil aspires to set an example for the continent by building a just
social order where the blessings of liberty are enjoyed by every citizen
of this great nation.
Ensuring social justice for the Americas requires choosing between
two competing visions. One offers a vision of hope -- it is founded on
representative government, integration into the world community, and a
faith in the transformative power of freedom in individual lives. The
other seeks to roll back the democratic progress of the past two decades
by playing to fear, pitting neighbor against neighbor -- and blaming
others for their own failures to provide for their people. The choices
we make will determine which vision will define the Americas our
children inherit --and we must make tough decisions today to ensure a
better tomorrow.
As you work for a better tomorrow, Brazil must know you have a
strong partner in the United States. Like you, we aspire for a
hemisphere where the dignity of every human being is respected. Like
you, we believe that the poor and disenfranchised have a special claim
on our attention. And like you, we know that we must make good on the
promises of democracy. In the Americas of the 21st century, freedom is
the gateway to social justice -- and democracies old and new must work
together to build a hemisphere that delivers hope and opportunity for
every citizen.
Our common ideal of social justice begins with self-government. The
promise of democracy starts with national pride, and independence, and
elections. But it does not end there. A country that divides into
factions and dwells on old grievances cannot move forward, and risks
sliding back into tyranny. A country that unites all its people behind
common ideals will multiply in strength and confidence. The successful
democracies of the 21st century will not be defined by blood and soil.
Successful democracies will be defined by a broader ideal of citizenship
-- based on shared principles, and shared responsibilities, and respect
for all.
For my own country, the process of becoming a mature, multi-ethnic
democracy was lengthy. My country's journey from national independence
to equal justice for all meant overcoming the enslavement of millions,
and a four-year civil war. Even after slavery ended, a century passed
before the guarantee of equal rights under the law was finally made
real. Racial division almost destroyed my country -- and the citizens of
the United States learned the false doctrine of "separate but equal" was
no basis for a strong and unified America. The only way my country found
to rise above the injustices of our history was to reject segregation,
to move beyond mere tolerance, and to affirm the brotherhood of all
people in our land.
Each democracy has its own character and culture that reflect its
unique traditions and history. Yet all free and successful countries
share some common characteristics: freedom to worship, freedom of the
press, freedom of speech, economic liberty, equal justice under the rule
of law, equal citizenship for all -- and the limitation of state power
through checks and balances. In many parts of our hemisphere, these
institutions of a free society are still young, and they are fragile --
and we must ensure that they are strong for the tasks ahead. To deliver
justice, the people must have confidence in their institutions -- and we
must replace the rule of man with the rule of law.
Some today suggest that democracy has outlived its usefulness.
They have misread history. The Americas has declared democracy
"indispensable" for the exercise of human rights. It is the only region
in the world that imposes an obligation to defend democracy. For all the
growing pains, it is a miracle of history that this young century finds
us speaking about the consolidation of freedom throughout our
hemisphere. We must continue our work to help strengthen the
institutions of liberty -- because we know that freedom is the only way
to ensure that our citizens can lead lives of purpose and dignity. And
without democracy there can be no social justice -- because only
democracy offers a place at the table for every member of society.
Our common ideal of social justice must include a better life for all
our citizens. As elections and democracies have spread across our
hemisphere, we see a revolution in expectations. In free societies,
citizens will rightly insist that people should not go hungry, that
every child deserves the opportunity for a decent education, and that
hard work and initiative should be rewarded. And with each new
generation that grows up in freedom and democracy, these expectations
rise -- and the demands for accountability grow. Either democracies will
meet these legitimate demands, or we will yield the future to the
enemies of freedom.
The nations of this hemisphere have a moral obligation to help
others. They have a moral education to educate their children, and to
provide decent health care. We have a moral duty to make sure our
actions are effective. At Monterrey in 2002, the world agreed to a new
vision for the way we fight poverty, and curb corruption, and provide
aid in this new millennium. Developing countries agreed to take
responsibility for their own economic progress through good governance
and sound practices and the rule of law -- and developed countries
agreed to support these efforts.
My country has sought to implement the Monterrey consensus by
changing the way we deliver aid. We have established a new Millennium
Challenge Account that increases aid for nations that govern justly,
that invest in the education and health of their people, and promote
economic freedom. Recently we signed compacts to delivering aid --
Millennium Challenge aid to Honduras and Nicaragua. This new aid will
help those countries improve their roads, and diversify their crops, and
strengthen property rights, and make their rural businesses more
competitive. And in the years ahead, under the leadership of Ambassador
Danilovich we hope more countries will follow their example.
My country has also stepped up to meet the humanitarian challenges
facing our region and the world by providing millions of dollars
bilaterally, especially for education of the children. We understand
that you cannot achieve economic prosperity and social justice without
educating the children of a country. We also support the Global Fund for
HIV/AIDS, to provide care and prevention and support for those suffering
from the pandemic. At the 2004 Special Summit in Mexico, the leaders of
our hemisphere, including President Lula and me, made a commitment to
provide life-saving treatment for at least 600,000 individuals by the
next Summit of the Americas. We worked together. We have shown our words
are not empty promises. We have helped deliver treatment to more than
670,000 people in this hemisphere -- which surpasses our goal of helping
those with HIV/AIDS. And there is more work to be done.
As we expand and improve aid, we are also working to improve the
Inter-American Development Bank. Since it was established, this bank has
played a major role in the economic development of Latin America and the
Caribbean. But as the economies of the Americas further develop, the
bank has to change with them. The beginning of President Moreno's tenure
gives us a great opportunity to modernize the bank by taking better
advantage of global capital markets -- and by tailoring the bank's
programs to the real needs of the growing economies on this continent.
The private sector is the engine of growth and job creation in this
region. The bank must greatly strengthen its role in private sector
investment -- especially in small businesses, which are the backbone of
a healthy and growing economy. I have asked the United States Treasury
Secretary John Snow to work with his counterparts in the hemisphere and
at the bank to implement reforms that will ensure that the bank better
addresses the needs for economic growth and job creation. They will also
discuss a range of options, including giving grants and debt relief for
the poorest of nations.
Increasing aid and relieving debt are important parts of our efforts
to lift the burden of poverty from places of suffering -- yet they are
not enough. Our goal is to promote opportunity for people throughout the
Americas, whether you live in Minnesota or Brazil. And the best way to
do this is by expanding free and fair trade.
The United States, Mexico, and Canada took a first step with what's
called NAFTA. And trade between our countries has tripled in 10-year
period. Our hemisphere has sought to build on this example by committing
ourselves to the Free Trade of the Americas that would eliminate
barriers across the entire hemisphere -- and I appreciate President
Lula's discussion with me today about working to see if we can't make
that become a reality. The United States has also made substantial
advances toward the goal of hemispheric free trade through bilateral
trade agreements with partners such as Chile. And three months ago, we
passed through our Congress a trade agreement with the nations of
Central America and the Dominican Republic that gives the people of that
region jobs and opportunities that come from freer trade and more
investment. And at this moment, we're working hard to advance
negotiations with the Andean countries and Panama. By working for free,
and I repeat, fair trade across this hemisphere, we will bring all our
people into the expanding circle of development -- we'll make it easier
for those of us who live in this hemisphere to compete with countries
like China and India -- but most importantly, trade means jobs for
people.
The best opportunity to deliver the blessings of trade to every
citizen in this hemisphere is the Doha Round of negotiations in the
World Trade Organization. A successful Doha Round will open up markets
for farm products, and services, and industrial goods across this
hemisphere and across the globe. Under Doha, every nation will gain --
and the developing world stands to gain the most. The World Bank
estimates that if the Doha Round passes, 300 million people will be
lifted from poverty. We know that from history that developing nations
that open themselves up to trade grow at several times the rate of
countries that practice protectionism. And the stakes are high, they're
really high. The lives and futures of millions of poor people across the
globe hang in the balance -- so we must bring the Doha trade talks to a
successful conclusion.
The greatest obstacles to a successful Doha Round are the countries
that stand firm in the way of dismantling the tariffs, and barriers, and
trade-distorting subsidies that isolate the poor on this continent from
the great opportunities of the 21st century. Only an ambitious reform
agenda in agriculture, and manufactured goods, and services can ensure
that the benefits of free and fair trade are enjoyed by all people in
all countries.
We agree with Brazil that the agricultural negotiations will unlock
the full potential of the Doha Round. Your President has criticized the
agricultural subsidies that the developed world pays to its farmers --
trade-distorting subsidies that undercut honest farmers in the
developing world. I agree with President Lula. And the United States is
leading the way to address this problem.
My administration has offered a bold proposal for Doha that would
substantially reduce agricultural tariffs and trade-distorting subsidies
in a first stage -- and over a period of fifteen years, eliminate them
altogether. Leaders who are concerned about the harmful effects of high
tariffs and farm subsidies must move the Doha Round forward. And leaders
who want to make progress on agricultural subsidies must use their
influence to help the WTO make progress on all aspects of the Doha
Round. By completing Doha, we will help build an Americas that lives in
liberty, trades in freedom, and grows in prosperity.
Finally, our common ideal of social justice requires safety and
security for all our citizens. In many parts of this hemisphere, drug
lords, and terrorists, and criminal gangs corrupt democratic societies.
When these groups are more powerful than the state, there can be no
social justice. So the United States is working with affected countries
to restore the rule of law and ensure the safety of ordinary citizens.
We are working with the government of Mexico to stop the smugglers who
traffic in everything from guns to human beings. We are helping
President Uribe and the Colombian people defeat the cocaine cartels and
narco-terrorists. We're providing money to help honest farmers grow
legitimate crops. We're working with our partners in this region to stop
terrorist organizations from using this hemisphere as a base to launder
money and to provide support for their operations across the globe.
By protecting the people of the Americas from those who operate
outside the law, we strengthen democracy, we promote social justice, and
we make prosperity more likely. Citizens who live in fear for their
lives because of drug lords, and terrorists, and criminal gangs are not
free citizens. So we must continue to work for the day that all citizens
can count on their governments to protect them from criminals -- and
advance the peace and stability that can only come from freedom.
In the last half-century, the nations of the Americas have overcome
enormous challenges: colonialism, and communism, and military
dictatorship. The progress we have achieved is the result of tremendous
sacrifice and leadership. One such leader was the man who built this
beautiful capital as the symbol of Brazilian democracy. President
Kubitschek was forced into exile when antidemocratic forces seized
control in Brazil. His dream, he said, was to live and die in a free
country. At the start of this hopeful new century, the dream of this
proud patriot inspires citizens not only in this country, but all around
the continent.
The citizens of the Americas look to us, the elected leaders, to make
his dream a reality -- and to lead by example. Governments across this
hemisphere must be strong, must listen to the people, and must not
squander their money. Governments across this hemisphere must be free of
corruption. Governments across this hemisphere must be accountable --
and we must live by the same standard we set for others. By making the
blessings of freedom real in our hemisphere, we will advance the cause
of social justice and set a shining example for the rest of the world.
Thank you for allowing me to come and address you. May God bless
Brazil. May God continue to bless our nation, America. Thank you.
(Applause.)