Tegucigalpa, Honduras

The Interior and Justice Secretary, Oscar Raul Matute, issued a statement this Thursday, minutes after being reported the suspension of U.S. aid to Honduras.

In statements to Radio HRN, Matute relies on a U.S. government reaction “when they read these concepts.” He expressed confidence that “the American people is a noble people” and that “the U.S. government will consider these concepts (…)” which give elements of judgment that “they do not know (and that) if they are brought to them they will have a completely clear understanding of what is our truth.”

The message, addressed “with approval of the Constitutional President of the Republic of Honduras, Roberto Micheletti” to the American people and the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in particular, and expressing the government’s response through the Ministry of Interior and Justice, reads as follows:

“We are a peaceful people with deep Christian values and we have been forged in the heroic struggle with the hoe and rifle, and forged our character in one of the most ardent geographies of the Americas. The heroic struggle of our people to preserve their national, spiritual and moral values has led us to the current political situation and to strengthen our fight to increase our ideals and achieving our goals.

We invoke the lapidary and historical concepts that inform the principles to be observed by all nations of universal singular idiomatic expression and we bring to our minds those concepts expressed by the remembered, loved and respected U.S. president John Fitzgerald Kennedy and making ours his words we also say that in the long history of the world only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in the moments of its greatest danger.

We do not shrink from this responsibility, we welcome it, none of us would exchange place with anyone from another generation. The energy, faith, and devotion we have brought will illuminate our country and those whom we serve.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of the liberties of our people and of democracy.

And along with the recalled President Kennedy we also say that our conscience is clear, and to keep our promise to our people is our only sure reward with history as the final judge of our deeds; we go forward for the land we love and we are asking God’s blessing.

Madam Secretary of State: in your hands is to make decisions that could affect our condition of being Hondurans, therefore we respectfully ask you to take those decisions which would take the noble American people if they were in the political context in which our people are.

I profess to the noble American people and to the Secretary and lawyer Hillary Clinton assurances of my highest and distinguished consideration.

Taken from El Heraldo.