Vice president visits Venezuela and El Salvador - Dan Quayle address - transcript

Venezuela

The people of our two countries share the strongest belief in the dignity of man, embodied in. our mutual commitment to the advancement of demoeracy and respect for human rights . . . . The age of the dictator has, indeed, passed. In this hemisphere, new life has been given to the idea that freedom works. But it does not work of and by itself. We face the constant threat of encroachment upon our shores of an alien and outmoded ideology. To defeat it, we must strengthen the ties that bind us. Only our combined solidarity will ensure the consolidation on this continent, within the framework of democratic institutions, of a system of individual liberty and social justice based on respect for the essential rights of man.

Remarks to the American Embassy Community, Caracas, February 1,1989

El Salvador

El Salvador is a democracy, so it's not surprising that there are many voices to be heard here. Yet in my conversations with Salvadorans of very differing points of view, I have heard a single voice; it is a clear one. No one wishes more political violence or destabilization in the region or an end to the democratic process that began 10 years ago. Salvadorans are united in their desire for peace, for a share in the prosperity of the nation, for law and justice to guide their society. They are united in their sense of what their country can be . . . . Our commitment, as Americans and as allies, is to democracy. Our support is for the people of El Salvador. It is they who choose their leaders; it is they who decide the course of their destiny; and it is to the people of El Salvador that we direct our continued support.

Departure Statement, San Salvador, February 3,1989

COPYRIGHT 1989 U.S. Government Printing Office
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