Bill Clinton: “Mr. President, Mrs. Zedillo, members of the Mexican Cabinet and other distinguished public servants, citizens of Mexico…”

“Mr. President, Mrs. Zedillo, members of the Mexican Cabinet and other distinguished public servants, citizens of Mexico, on behalf of Hillary, of all the members of our delegation from the administration and the Congress, I first thank you for the graciousness and warmth with which you have welcomed us. We live side by side as neighbors, we work together day-in and day-out as partners, but the warmth of your reception has reminded us today that we are also close friends. Just before the dinner began, President and Mrs. Zedillo took Hillary and me to see the magnificent murals of Diego Rivera that adorn this great palace. They are very moving works. Along with the paintings of Orozco and Siqueiros, they represent the peak of artistic achievement in this century and one of the many contributions of Mexico to the culture of the world. Anyone who has seen it knows that the power of Rivera's ``Epic of the Mexico People in Their Struggle for Freedom and Independence'' comes from more than mere technical skill. In this grand work we see the proud spirit of Mexico's revolution and Mexico's heart. Instantly, I saw Rivera's extraordinary love of the Mexican people, the same passion which then and now inspires Mexico's journey toward a better and freer society. Rivera never actually finished his epic, and perhaps that is fitting because the journey of every nation to increase the freedom of its people, the labor at the very heart of democracy, never ends.…”