Madam Chair,
Distinguished Permanent Representatives,
Distinguished Permanent Observers,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The annual commemoration of the birth and life of el libertador Simon Bolivar provides us a valuable opportunity to share and consider the history, aspirations and legacy of one of the great sons of the Americas.

I believe it is also an opportune time to reflect on the value of his commitment and the sacrifice of those of his generation who shared his ideal and passion for a free and united Americas.

Although by modern day standards, the life of Simon Bolivar was short, he emerged not only as one of South America’s greatest generals and leader but as one of its most recognizable figures in the struggle for human dignity.

History tells us also that Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar was born into aristocracy and benefited from an excellent, if not privileged education. But the lesson to retain here is that such social advantage did not alienate him from the plight of his fellowmen throughout the Americas. In commemorating his life, we must remember and celebrate his choices made in the name of freedom.

His resistance and the significance of his contribution to the configuration of what today represents the Americas are not merely moments of interests for the history books, but part of what cements our Hemisphere today – an Americas forged through solidarity and awareness of a common purpose and shared destiny and also increasingly shared values.
The choices of his noble ambition and sacrifice brought the peoples of the Americas closer together. After several battles, Bolívar fled South America in 1815 and took refuge in Jamaica from where he wrote his famous Jamaica Letter.
In the same year, Bolívar traveled to Haiti and petitioned its president, Alexander Sabes Petión, to help the Spanish American cause. In 1817, with Haitian help, Bolívar returned to the continent and at the Battle of Boyacá of August 7, 1819 he won a great victory for the army of the revolution. That year, Bolívar created the Angostura Congress which founded Gran Colombia (a federation of present-day Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador) which named Bolívar president.
The peoples of the Andean region from Bolivia to Colombia; Ecuador to Peru and Venezuela were among the early beneficiaries of his sacrifice. And their peoples were among the early proponents of freedoms from colonial rule and right to develop and preserve a national identity built on the ambition and pride of political independence.

This is the vision and aspirations of an Americas we must build on; this is the legacy that must guide our commitment to strengthening and passing on to future generations the values and principles of peace, security and human security through development.

It might seem one of life’s great paradoxes – the fact that wars were indeed waged, an in some parts of the world continue to be waged, to forge peace. However, we are now the children of a well-fought peace.

We must nonetheless remain committed to the types of engagement to ensure that war should never be considered a tool for peace in this Americas.

We must use the mechanisms of the OAS system to promote our individual and shared objectives consistent with the principles of its Charter in building peaceful societies, mitigating and preventing conflicts between and within nations that can damage or destroy unity and stability. The OAS provides a unique platform to continue foster unity and collectivity and friendly relations between its members.

To this end, let us continue to invest strategic political capital, as well as financial and diplomatic resources to bolster this institution. Only a strong and capable OAS, as the main multilateral and political platform to reach consensus on critical matters to the interest of all, can deliver on the set objectives of democracy, peace and prosperity.

We must build on the peace we enjoy; never taking for granted the importance of strengthening our democratic institutions. We must also commit to renewing our democracies, to preserving the human rights of our citizens and to ensuring their security, development and human dignity.

The demonstration of solidarity between the peoples of the Americas is still present today. The Organization of American States, successor to the Pan American Union, built on the foundation of the ethos of the Congress of 1819, continues some 60 years later through our countries’ efforts to deepen cooperation among its member states; to consolidate peace and security in the Hemisphere; to build trust and goodwill; and to raise the standards of living for all our citizens.
In as much as the birth, life, choices, and sacrifices of Simon Bolivar have earned a treasured and honored place in the modern history of our Americas, so too can the efforts and achievements of this Organization give value and substance to the present and future of the Americas.
I believe that the best way we can honor the life, sacrifice and work of Simon Bolivar is to increase our collective efforts to strengthen meaningful dialogue, to foster solidarity and to create prosperity for all in the Americas.

Thank you.