11 December 2001

Western Hemisphere Nations Commemorate Victims of September 11

Washington -- Solemn ceremonies marking the three-month anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States were held throughout Latin America December 11, bringing together citizens of the hemisphere, north and south, to commemorate the thousands of innocent civilian lives lost and to reaffirm a commitment to battle terrorism.

The memorial services throughout the region were part of the commemorations held across the United States and the entire world -- from Ground Zero in New York City to the International Space Station orbiting Earth -- in honor of the nearly 3,300 victims killed on September 11. Among those who died at the hands of terrorists were more than 300 citizens from 28 nations of the Western Hemisphere.

Mexican President Vicente Fox expressed his solidarity with the United States by observing a minute of silence at Los Pinos, the presidential mansion. He also issued a statement noting that the "brutal impact" of the terrorist attacks could be seen in the thousands of civilian lives lost as well as in such negative consequences for the world economy as increased unemployment and lower economic growth.

"For that reason, we have taken it upon ourselves to undertake all actions against terrorism; and for that reason, we express today our deepest condolences for those events and certainly we do that in the name of all the people of Mexico," Fox said.

In Brasilia, representatives of the Brazilian government, members of the diplomatic corps, and police and fire officials joined U.S. Embassy staff and other members of the American community to pay homage to the victims of the September 11 attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Similar ceremonies were held at the U.S. consulates general in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. In Sao Paulo, U.S. Marines lowered the consulate general's American flag, which will be presented to a firehouse in New York City in memory of the 343 firefighters who perished in the collapse of the World Trade Center's twin towers.

Nicaraguan television broadcast live the ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Managua, which included a Nicaraguan army band playing the national anthems of both countries and remarks by Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Francisco Aguirre Sacasa. The foreign minister spoke movingly of being at the Organization of American States (OAS) meeting in Lima, Peru, with Secretary of State Colin Powell the morning of the attacks, and of the scene he personally witnessed on a subsequent visit to New York City of thousands of lit candles honoring the victims.

In Montevideo, President Jorge Batlle led the official ceremony held at the Uruguayan government house, an event that drew the head of every branch of the Uruguayan military, 25 ambassadors, Uruguayan schoolchildren, and representatives of fire, police, and anti-terrorist units.

Uruguayan television and radio stations across the country also observed a two-minute period of silence on the airwaves at 8:46 a.m., the time when the first hijacked airliner crashed into the World Trade Center in New York.

In Barbados, a church service at St. Michael's Cathedral featured comments by Senator Phillip Goddard, an envoy of Prime Minister Owen Arthur, who spoke about moving from hate to understanding and peace. After the playing of each country's national anthem, the service ended with the singing of "Let There Be Peace on Earth." Among the 170 people in attendance were family members of two of the Barbadian victims.

In a ceremony outside the U.S. Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rican Foreign Minister Roberto Rojas spoke of his country's support for U.S. efforts to confront terrorism around the world. A special "wall of remembrance" exhibited some of the hundreds of drawings, letters and banners that Costa Ricans offered to the embassy in the weeks following the attacks.

The Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs marked the three-month anniversary with a ceremony in its gardens led by Foreign Minister Soledad Alvear that featured a mournful trumpet, a chamber choir, a prayer led by the Papal Nuncio, and a rare pealing of the National Cathedral bells to punctuate the two minutes of silence.

After a separate ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, seven fire trucks from the city's all-volunteer firefighter company arrived to present a floral memorial wreath. In a tribute to their fallen counterparts in New York City, the firefighters departed the embassy to the accompanying blare of the horns and sirens on their trucks.