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FOIA Number: 2006-0458-F
FOIA
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records .
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Communications
Series/Staff Member:
Don Baer
Subseries:
10131
OA/ID Number:
FolderiD:
Folder Title:
Summit of Americas Memo
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s
91
2
9
1
�MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
.RE:
DATE:
Distribution
Bob Boontin
Summit of the Americas speech
December 8, 1994
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Attached please find draft of the President's "Scene Setter" speech for the Summit of the
· Americas .. He is scheduled to speak tomorrow-- Friday, December 9 --'at 12 p.m. ·
Comments are needed by 10 a.m. today so that the President can review another draft
before departure for Miami. Please phone rnc at 456-5696 or fax written corrections to
456~6485.
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Thank you very much.
Please note: The spee<?h is already too long. I have done my best to crush 7-page singlepage "absolutely-must-say-exactly-this-way" inserts into small spaces. Thank you for
understanding.
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12/8/94, 2 am
PRESIDENT WILLIAM JEFFERSON CL~ON
REMARKS ON THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS
MIAMI, FLOIUDA
DECEMBER 9, 1994
Acknowledgments:
Governor Lawton Chiles, ijonorary Chair of the Summit
Lieutenant Governor Buddy McKay, Summit Co-Chair
Senator Bob Graham
Dante Fascell, ·Summit Honorary Co-Chair
Mayor Steve Clarke (Miami), Honorary Summit Committee Member
Art Teel, Chairman of Metro-Dade Commission and Honorary Summit
Committee Member
Citizens of Florida and Miami
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When we first announce4 plans to hold this Summit ofthe'Americas, Miami's vibrant
culture, dynamic economy and strong links to the Caribbean and Latin America made it a·
natural choice. Where better to hold such a gathering than a city variously described as
the Hub, the Melting Pot, the Gateway, and the Crossroads of the Americas?
But in the end we chose Miami because of the people who live and work here. Today I
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want to thank you for your extraordinary efforts. In the past months. you have supplied
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the kind of energy that is supposed to be generated only by the Florida sun. Governor
Chiles, Lieutenant Governor McKay, Mayor Clark and everyone else promised that the
citizens of Miami would do it right -- and you have delivered.
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History has given the people of the Americas a daZzling opportunity to build a
community of nations that share a commitment to the value~ of liberty and the promise of
prosperity. Over the next three days, the 34 democratically elected leaders of our
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hemisphere will gather to begin to seize this opportunity.
I convened this Summit of the Americas with three clear goals: to open new·markets 31_1d
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create a free trade area throughout our hemisphere; to strengthen our democracies; and to
bring together our nations to improve the quality of life for our people. If we are
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successful, the Summit will produce jobs, opportunity and prosperity for our children and
generations to come. We will have launched a true Partnership for Prosperity.
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We meet at a moment of great promise and great hope for the nations of the Americas.
Here, in our hemisphere, a quiet revolution has.taken place. While we watched ~fixed
as the Berlin Wall fell, the Soviet Union dis~olved ~d freedom triumphed in South
Africa, the nations of the Americas have thrown off' the ~rushing_w~ight of dictatorship
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debt and entered a new era of democracy and development.
When historians look back on our times, they will ~arvel at the speed with which
democracy has swept the Americas. Consider this: .at the time of the last hemispheric
summit -:- in 1967 -- ten countries suffered under authoritarian rule. At this Summit every
one of the 34 leaders won his or her post through ballots, not bullets.
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This weekend we will welcome leaders like President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti,
who has. reclaimed the office he earned. President Aristide's commitment to
reconciliation and the rule of law is moving his people from fear to freedom. And we
salute the thousands of Americ~ troops who are helping restore democracy to his nation.
Here at the SUmmit of the Americas the people of the United States will meet a new
generation of leaders. A generation no longer subject to the whims of military juntas who
stifle liberties or loot the nation. A generation that has proved in Central America that
bloody regional conflicts can be peacefully concluded through negotiation, refonn and
national reconciliation. And a generation which has pledged to support democracy
collectively whereyer it is imperiled -- acommitment unique vto our region.
These leaders are here in Miami because they have tapped what Simon [see[mone]
Bolivar, the Liberator
of Latin America,' called "the most sacred spring....the will of the
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people." Today-- one day before
the anniversary o{the adoption
of Universal
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Declaration of Human Rights -- we honor them, and the brave men and women who
fought.alongsi4e them and lie in unmarked graves. This Summit is a t;ribute to their
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sacrifice and their triumph.
Only on~ nation in our hemisphere is not represented here.. Just 90 miles from where we
meet lies the tragic evidence. of democracy denied. The citizens of Cuba continue to live
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under the oppressive rule of Fidel Castro and the bankrupt economy his policies have
wrought. We support the Cuban people's desire for peaceful, democratic 'change. And we
hope-- an<;l I know you all hope-- that when the n~tions of the Western Hemisphere
gather at our. next summit, a democratic Cuba
will take its place· at' the table of free
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nations.
The wave of political freedom that has swept across the Americas has been matched by
unprecedented economic reform. In times of great stress, farsighted leaders have adopted
sound fiscal and monetary policies to tame inflation and reduce debt. They have slashed.
tariffs, stabilized currencies and opened their economies to foreign inv:estment. They
have privatized and decentralized: Argentina has cu~ its central government by 60
percent in four years, and Bolivi~ has given back to local communities tnOre
responsibility for health, education and agriculture. The so-called "lost decade" of Latin
America is. a fading memory ..
Th,ese reforms have worked wonders. Investment is growing.
The
class is on the
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··- middle
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rise. The Western Hemisphere is the second-fastest growing region in the world. And if
current trends continue, by the year 2003, our hemisphere will be the biggest market in
the world -- more than 850 million consumers buying $13 billion worth of goods and
services.
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These are remarkable, hopeful times. And in the United States, we have a comprehensive
economic strategy to reap the rewards of the moment.
First, we put our economic house in order, with deep cuts in the deficit and federal
spending. For the first time since Harry Trumari was President, our deficit this year will
decline for the third straight time. We have the lowest unemployment rate in four years
and the world's most productive work force. And we have created more high-wage jobs·
a
this year alone than in the previous five years combined, a sign that 20-year trend in
stagnant incomes may be changing. Our recovery has not been felt by millions and we
have much work to do, but the United States has never been in a stronger economic
position to compete and win in the world.
Second,
we are opening .markets and making the new global economy work for our ·
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, people. For forty .years, our markets have been more open than those of any other major
nation. In today's economy,
we cannot
allow that to .continue. To thrive ·we must export
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more of our goods and services and create high-wage jobs ..
One year ago yesterday, I signed into law the North Ameri~an Free Trade Agreement, an.
event that gave birth to this Summit and marked a new era in America's.trade relations.
In the first nine months of this year, our exports to Mexico jumped by 22 percent. More
trade with Mexico and Canada ha5 helped create as many as 100,000 new jobs. And auto
exports to Mexico are up 500 percent.
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Last month in Indonesia, we agreeq with 18 Asian-Pacific nations to achieve free trade in
the region by the year 2020. Tariffs will begin to fall and give us new access to the
fastest gr~wing economies in the world.
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And yesterday I signed legislation implementing the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade. GATI is the largest trade agreement in history and it will produce more free and ·
fair trade for the United States than anything that has come before. And let me point out
· ~at GATI -- like NAFTA before it -- won strong bipartisan support in Congress -- a
pattern that must prevail as we continue to pursue open markets and prosperity in this
hcm~isphere and around the world.
Finally, our economic strategy seeks to prepare our people to fill the high-wage jobs of
the future. For too many of our people, these are times of great uncertainty-- times when
millions of families worry about their economic s.ecurity. For them'trade is a gale-force
wind, another hurricane that will uproot the prospects of~ stable_jo~ at a good wage.
So while we increase trade, we must tie our efforts to ail unshakable commitment to help
workers whose jobs are at risk because of increased trade and new competition. We must
help those who get caught in the crosswinds of change.
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We must insure that basic labor s~dards are ·protected and promoted so freer trade
means better, not worse, working conditions for all. And we must keep job training
programs at the top of our domestic priorities. We should·help train and educate our
workers-throughout their careers and give them the confidence they need to deal with the
changing workplace and, if need be, move to new jobs quickly and efficiently. Our
·· workers are the most important asset we have, and more free trade is only worthwhile if it
benefits the lives of real people.
But, as I have said over the past two years, we cannot repeal the laws of economic
change .. Trade, with all its potential dislocations, is an undeniable reality. If we do not
act, wages will fall and our people will suffer. But if we act wisely, if we make the new
world of trade work for our people, then
an aggressive strategy can not o~y produce new
jobs, but once again begin to create a rising standard of living -- the core ofthe American
dream.
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That is my primary goal for the Summit of the Americas._ My top_p~ority is to open new
markets and help launch a new Partnership for Prosperity. We have an opportunity to
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build on the momentum ofNAFTA and GATT-- to create a free trade area that stretches
from Alaska to Argentina. We should be specific and concrete. Let no one underestimate
the significance of this step: hemispheric free trade has been talked about for years. Here
in Mi~, we have the chance to act.
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Latin America is already the fastest growing regional market in the world for U.S.
exports. Last year [ck] exports to Colombia shot up 68 percent; to Argentina, 57 percent,
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to Chile, 34 percent and to Costa Rica, 31 percent. Of every dollar Latin Americans
spend on imports, 44 cents buy goods made in the USA. Florida alone sold almost $9
billion worth of goods in the Americas last year. Next year our country will sell more to
Latin America than to Western Europe or Japan-- despite trade barriers that are four
times higher than ours. ·
Creating a .free trade area would be good news throughout the Americas. Here in.the
United States, our exports to Latin AMeric~ could double by the year 2005 and c~ate
more than one million new jobs. Export-related jobs pay, on average, 17 percent more
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than others. They are the kind of jobs that guarantee a family a fair shot at the American
dream.
The second goal of our Summit is to preserve and strengthen our community of
democracies. For growing prosperity relies heavily on stable demo~racies.
Many of the danger8 we face -- intemational crime and corruption, nareotics trafficking,
terrorism, environmental degradation -- spare no c~untry, no region, no community in
this hemisphere. They threaten fragile and mature democracies alike •- and can only be
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solved if.we act in harmony. In the days ahead, we will discuss ways to. expose and seize
the assets of those who launder the profits of drUg cartels. And we will explore new ways
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. -- like those developed in Chile -- to prevent corruption from corroding our democracies,
and robbing us of our resources and rights.
We must also work to· keep our democracies healthy and open. Our hemisphere has come
too far -- and the cost has been too great -- to return to the days of repression and
dictatorship. At the Summit we will discuss the role that the Organization of American
States can play in helping to reconcile political disputes and ensure that democratic
Constitutions live and breathe.. Here in the United States, we know that democracy is
hard work. As Vice President Gore's successful efforts to begin the long task of
reinventing our government show, we must attack our problems with renewed energy
every day.
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The third goal of our Summit is to bring our nations together to pursue ~ustainable
development Democracy means more than ending political brutality; it means progress
and opportunity for all our citizens. Our political freedoms can only be maintained if •
everyone has the opportunity for economic advancement._ And ~~ prosperity will be
short lived if we do not protect our resources and our environment.
Out common effort to eradicate polio-- banished from our hemisphere since 1991;...
shows what cooperation can bring. Now we must expand our ambitions, and our
commitment. Despite tremendous progress, poverty, ignorance and disease still threaten
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millions from North to South.. At the Summit, we will discuss ways to Improve basic
health, education and housing for our people.
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Our Summit agenda also calls for important talks aimed at protecting our environment
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while we develop our economies and increase trade. We will discuss initiatives to control
pollution, ban lead from gasoline, conserve the diversity of nature, and spread innovative
environmental technologies. Threats to our environment respect no border, and we must
focus pn sus~nable development or our efforts to build better lives for our children will
surely fail.
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recognize that in a rapidly changing world, and in a region of such diverse cultures,
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no single model for solving problems or organizing society will work. But in the past
decade, nations throughout the Ameticas have turned to democracy as the best way .to
· ensure their freedoms and promote economic growth. They have proven that
democracies make better, more stable neighbors. They have helped spread. the values of
tole~ance .and liberty. And they have given their people n~w opp9~ties to build good
lives in their own nations.
At. this. Summit, we will work with our neighbors to safeguard these achievements and
plot a course for the future. Building democracy means building a partnership for the
long haul. And I
am convinced that we will succeed if we recognize that the bonds that
unite us are.stronger than' the differences that divide us..
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Once the United States and our neighbors· were divided by seemingly unbridgeable
cultural and economic gulfs. But today, superhighways and satellite dishes draw us
together as never before. Our economies are interwoven: And Latin American
contributions to our culture -- in great novels, flne restaurants, and three television
networks -- grow every day. By the year 2020, if current trends continue, the· United
States will boasta.Spanish-speaking population second only in size to Mexico's. We
cannot -- and should not -- sever the connections between North and South America; we
must strengthen these bonds and make them work for the benefit of all.
On this day 170 years ago, Simon Bolivar's generals won the Battle of Ayacucho --the
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last battle for liberation between the people of the New World and colonial Spain.· With
that triumph, Peru prochi.imed its independence and a new era began in our hemisphere.
It was an era that Bolivar hoped would produce Pan American integration.
Bolivar's dream was not realized, but generation aft~r generation.has struggled to make it
real. Now today, here in the Americas, we have it within our power 'to create something
the world has never seen: a hemisphere where disputes among nations are peacefully
resolved; where all cultures and nations are respected; where no person's rights are
denied nor labor abused; and where ideas and trade flow freely across borders and a
-Partnership for Prosperity grows ever stronger.
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We face a magic moment and a great opportunity. If we rise to the challe~ge, one day
our children and our grandchildren will look back and report that, during those three days
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in Miami, farsighted leaders anSwered the call of histo~ and launched a new era of
progress and prosperity in the Americas.
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Don Baer
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Don Baer
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2006-0458-F
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<a href="http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/assets/Documents/Finding-Aids/2006/2006-0458-F.pdf" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7431981" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
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7431981