MR BARRETT: Good afternoon. It took us a little while to get in the room because there was a band of Floridians blocking the entrance. But it is great to see friends, colleagues, embassy kids. Welcome. How are you guys doing?
Well, it is my pleasure to welcome Secretary Rubio to Panama, his first visit as Secretary of State, and we’re really happy about that. As the Secretary and all of us know, the U.S. and Panama relationship is strong. And there’s been some ups and downs along the way, but like any tight relationship it comes back together again, and it’s shining now and it’s shining because of all of you in this room, in this atrium. And oh, look at everybody up there.
This team, Secretary – and Secretary, you’ve been to events like this before, meets and greets. And you’ll hear it many times, but these words matter: This is the best group of U.S. direct hires, locally engaged staff, EFMs, on the planet. (Cheers.) And I know it’s true because your advance team has told us many times all week how good – how good we are. (Laughter.)
So, and we’re ready to work even harder to continue to deliver for the American people to make them safer. A good example of that is the MOU that you worked so hard on that has dramatically reduced the number of migrants coming up through the Darién. In fact, last week we had a day with two migrants coming through. In contrast, last year we were looking at way over 2,000 every day coming through. The numbers were down over 90 percent this month versus a year ago month.
We’re making things safer, stronger for America, stronger in the people in this room that are working on the security partnership with the Panamanians who have developed the best, most effective security forces in the region that are delivering with record amounts of narcotics seizures and confiscations that by far are more than any other country in the region, and prosperous for the work we’re doing with U.S. investment. And the Secretary will see an example of that at AES, which not only imports U.S. LNG for the energy generation for Panama but also is a hub for the region to bring in LNG from the United States.
So we are so excited to work for the new Secretary, for President Trump, and deliver on the America First agenda. So Mr. Secretary, it is such an honor to welcome you to your Embassy Panama and your embassy team. Thank you. (Applause.)
SECRETARY RUBIO: Thank you, (inaudible). Thank you, thank you. Are you guys mad that they made you come on a Sunday? You ought to be. Come on, be honest. (Laughter.)
Well, I’m happy I got to meet all of you. There might be a future secretary of state, maybe even a future president sitting here in the front row, and – right? Anybody want to be president or secretary of state? You do. Here we go. He’s ready. (Laughter.)
What’s your name? Teo. Teo for president. (Laughter.) Well, it’s an honor. They’re giggling. You’ve got to work on them. They’re giggling over here. (Laughter.) You guys gonna vote for Teo? You’re going to vote for Teo, right? Unless you’re the one running against him, right? (Laughter.) Yeah. Well, you guys will figure that out and we’ll watch because – but this is really why we do it at the end of the day. I mean, you talk about the work that you guys are doing here. It really is about what the world is going to look like when they are our age, when they are in the positions we’re in now, whatever their dreams are.
And so I want to start by thanking you with my appreciation. I said this my first day on the job, and I said that of all the agencies out there, there was none I would rather be in charge of and lead, because we truly have – think about this. We have the greatest diplomatic corps in the history of the world. I don’t know if there’s – I don’t think the Romans were very good at it. I just don’t – I think we do it better than anyone’s ever done it in the world, and protecting not just our interests. And our interests are obviously the national interests of the country and of the United States and the people we represent back home, that you represent back home, but in many ways it’s intertwined with the interests of the countries in which we serve.
We’ve learned over time the more prosperous, the safer other countries are, the safer and more prosperous it makes us. This is a great example. You referenced the ups and downs of the relationship. In a country that was born in many ways here as a result of the interests of the United States but over time the relationship had its ups and downs, and today it’s one of our strongest economic partners certainly in the hemisphere and an important catalyst for so much trade and commerce that happens in the United States that affects and impacts so many people both going out and coming in. And so it’s a great place to come visit first.
Plus I was told – I mean, I said I want to go to a – where do you want to go on your first visit? I want to go to a place that’s warm. (Laughter.) I want to go to a place where they speak Spanish because I’m bilingual so that was a great opportunity. And I want to go to a place where we have this great staff. And then obviously we have great staff everywhere, but said you’ve got to go to Panama City. So here we are and we’re happy to be with you guys.
I want to thank everyone. I want to thank those who keep us safe, whether it’s Diplomatic Security, obviously our Marines who do an excellent job, everyone who comes down and supports us and keeps us safe and allows us to do the work we do on a daily basis.
I want to thank the extended families. When you serve abroad and in these missions, some of you have been in multiple places where perhaps you’re not able to bring your families, but this is one where you can. And this is an incredible experience for them.
And I think what’s most important, and I always want to point out too is for a lot of people around the world, maybe a lot of people in Panama, you’re the first thing they know about America and how we treat them and how we interact with them. You are the face of the United States. You are the voice of the United States in so many ways. And that is so critical to our country. And everywhere we go in the world, we hear what a positive relationship we have because of that.
I also want to thank our locally employed staff. These are men and women who are from here, who work for us. We have any here today? (In Spanish.)
(Via interpreter) Anyone here from Panama who works with us?
(Applause.)
But it would be impossible for us to do the work we do without you. (In Spanish.) But I’ve heard there’s a rumor – I don’t know if this is true – that we have two people – I don’t know if they’re here today. It’s Sunday. I’m sorry to bring you guys on a Sunday, but at least it’s not Super Bowl Sunday, so – (laughter). And there’s some people here that I’m told have been with us for 50 years. Fifty years. Where? Mabel Camarena.
(Cheers.)
(Via interpreter) You’re Mabel? Fifty years. Fifty-three.
MS CAMARENA: Cincuenta y seis. (Laughter.)
SECRETARY RUBIO: (Via interpreter) Fifty-six. I’m only 53 years old.
She was here before I was born. (Laughter.)
(Via interpreter) And so thanks very much for what you do and thank you for everything. Anyone else? Mirtha. How many years, Mirtha? Fifty-three as well. (Applause.) Did you start the same day? What month did you start here? But you were a girl? You were four years old when you started? (Laughter.) May? March. I was born in May. Look at that. That’s incredible. Thank you. And someone else. Gilberto, 43 years yesterday.
I was told there was somebody who had been here 43 years yesterday. I hope he didn’t quit because I was coming. (Laughter.) Either way, just think about that. I mean, think about that relationship and what that means and what that means for this post. And you think about 53 years or 56 years – I mean, that is – a lot has happened in those years and the relationship we have with these host countries.
So our job is to make your time here as safe and productive as possible. I’m always interested in learning about what’s going on in the post. We care a lot about the information we get from the ground. We rely on it extensively – not just through cables but through the input of our employees. And I used to be in politics, elected politics. We would do town halls and we would ask people questions and get their input and advice on topics. I would – in the few minutes we have, I would love to get a couple of insights about anything you have on your mind but in particular what we can do to make your time here, or posts generally, more productive and easier for you and for your families as well.
