John F. Kennedy photo

Remarks Upon Arrival at Maiquetia Airport, Caracas, Venezuela

December 16, 1961

Mr. President:

I'm more than happy to come to your country on my first visit as President of the United States, to one of our sister Republics in this hemisphere. And I am also proud to be the first President of the United States to visit this country.

But in a very real sense I follow in the footsteps of my distinguished predecessor, President Franklin Roosevelt, who devoted so much of his efforts, so much of his talents to binding together the countries of this hemisphere, who are united by nature and united in their common aspirations.

We are, in my country, committed in the 1960's to seeing the work which was so effectively begun in the 1930's in the Good Neighbor policy--to see it come to fruition in a whole series of free societies stretching from the north to the south, free and sovereign and independent countries, inhabited by free people who are gradually increasing their standard of living, educating their children, housing their families, finding work for their people and security for their old age.

This is what we want for the people of my country--and this is what we want for the people of this hemisphere.

And I am proud to come here to this country where your distinguished President has for many months committed himself-long before the phrase was begun--committed himself to the principles of the Alianza para el Progreso. He has shown in this country what can be done, and therefore I am proud to come here, and I hope in the time that we are here that I will benefit from his counsel and advice.

Mr. President, Mrs. Kennedy and I are delighted to be your guests and we are proud to be here among your people.

Thank you very much.

Note: The President's opening words "Mr. President" referred to Romulo Betancourt, President of Venezuela.

Another text of these remarks was released by the White House prior to the actual delivery.

John F. Kennedy, Remarks Upon Arrival at Maiquetia Airport, Caracas, Venezuela Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/235804

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