In gratitude for the trust placed in Colombia, the Government decorated former US congressmen and officials who have contributed to the country’s development
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Bogotá, May 29, 2022. The president, Ivan Duque, exercise their right to vote at polling station one, to kick off the 2022 presidential election day. (Colprensa-Sergio Acero)
Within the framework of the celebrations for the 200 years of bilateral relationship between the United States and Colombia, the president of the South American country, Iván Duque, recounted the history of both nations and the influence that the North American leaders have had to help defend democracy and independence of Colombia.
Duque recalled that, in 1822, John Quincy Adams, former president of the United States, and who at that time was Secretary of State, proposed that Gran Colombia be recognized and became the first former Spanish colony declared as an independent nation. According to the Colombian president, this influenced the consolidation of the country.
“Since then we have forged our values, our objectives, and our principles in order to consolidate a relationship that is more than a relationship between allies,” Duque said on June 2.
Likewise, the president said that, in the last two decades, Colombia “it went from being a country close to becoming a failed state, to becoming a strong and vibrant democracy that, under the principles of law and order, has become one of the most solid economies in Latin America.”< /i>
To support his point, the president explained that this Thursday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) renewed Colombia’s availability to access flexible credit for up to 10,000 million of dollars. This, it was reported, was achieved thanks to the “sound management of public finances” by the Duque administration and the country’s high level of fiscal responsibility.
He also recalled that, thanks to this consolidation as a nation, the United States declared Colombia as an extra main ally of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Being an extra NATO ally, Colombia could access US war material and receive loans for equipment and research materials. Likewise, it would have privileges in space technology purchase procedures and could participate in cooperative projects with the United States Department of Defense.
Iván Duque celebrates bilateral relations with the US
In gratitude for the trust given to Colombia, the Government decorated former US congressmen and officials who have contributed to the country’s development. The event was held at the Colombian Embassy in Washington and was attended by President Duque, the first lady, María Juliana Ruiz; the Vice President and Foreign Minister Marta Lucía Ramírez, and the Colombian Ambassador to the US, Juan Carlos Pinzón.
“I must say that today is a very special day for all Colombians, and I think for the United States of America as well, because today we celebrate 200 years of a bilateral relationship that has been founded on principles and values. This is a symbol of everything that can be achieved through bipartisan and bicameral diplomacy,” Duque stressed.
The ‘Distinction 200 years of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Colombia and the United States of America’ was awarded to Robert Zoellick, who was Undersecretary of State, US Trade Representative and President of the World Bank; William Cohen, former Secretary of Defense; Carlos Gutiérrez, former Secretary of Commerce; Paula Dobriansky, who was Assistant Secretary of State for Global Affairs; Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Americas Society/Council of the Americas; Irma Frank, professor and director of the Georgetown University School of Medicine, and Cristián Samper, president of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
She was also received by US congressmen Ed Royce, Roy Blunt, Rob Portman and Ruben Gallego; former legislator Illeana Ros-Lehtinen and former ambassadors in Bogotá, including Michael McKinley and William Brownfield.
Duque pointed out that all the people who were decorated “each have a story very special to tell, because most of you have worked in Colombia in the last two decades.”.