July 18, 2024

Mayor Eric Adams: Want to say hello to my fellow mayor, because only mayors know what we go through. We are so proud to raise the flag of Colombia. When you look at 100,000-strong and the contribution the Colombian community continuously make to this amazing city, I have already decided that one of my retirement locations is going to be in Colombia. I don't know of a beautiful place to go and just spend your last years hanging out.

You mean so much to this city. When you think about it, I want to thank my good friend, Council General Andrés Mejía Pizano, who's here as well, and, as I stated, the mayor of Cali, who's here, Mayor Eder. I'm really proud to have you here in the city. Enjoy yourself. You got to go out to Jackson Heights, Little Colombia, and spend a lot of time there enjoying the beauty of this amazing community.

We believe that we are the center of the Colombian community here in America. It means so much when you do an acknowledgment that 214 years of independence, you have been such an ally to our country. The role you have played for so many years, even President Bill Clinton talks about the close relationship he had with Colombia during the days. You have done so much for us as we deal with the migrants and asylum seekers shift that's taking place in our country. I know the roles that you play. Your power, your representation, small business, health care professional, what you do in public life, civil service, our law enforcement community, the men and women who wear the blue uniform and keep our city safe every day, a member from the Colombian community as well.

This is an important flag raising from the music, to your cuisine, to your belief in faith, to your belief in family, to your belief in public safety. Everywhere you look, all the way from Little Colombia and Jackson Heights to right here at Bowling Green, we raise the flag because we raise the spirit of Colombia. Thank you so much for being a part of this great mission.

Alfonso Lopez, Chief of Staff, Office of City Legislative Affairs: Thank you, Mayor Adams. Un gran aliado de la comunidad.

Translation: A great ally of the community.

Now we want to invite to the stage Andrés Mejía Pizano, Consul General, Consulada General de Colombia en Nueva York.

Translation: Consul General, New York Colombian General Consulate.

Andrés Mejía Pizano, Cónsul General, General Consulate of Colombia in New York: Mayor Adams, Commissioner Edward Mermelstein, Commissioner Castro, Alfonso Lopez, Arthur Piccolo, Leonor Zalabata, Jonathan Jimenez, Taliana Vargas, Alejandro Eder, Alcalde de Cali, Artistas Colombianos.

As we gather here today in this historic site for the independence of the United States to celebrate our 214th anniversary, I want to keep it short because we're on heat alert. I'm going to say mainly two things that I want to communicate today. First of all is gratitude. I think the feeling today is gratitude towards the authorities of NYC, from the head down to the ones who keep us safe and everybody in between. They have been generous to us. They have received us. They have honored the history of the city receiving immigrants. We cannot be anything different but just grateful. Thank you for all that you do and for all that you help us with in our communities.

I also want to talk a little bit about perspective in terms of what Colombia is in the world when you talk about biodiversity. It's sort of what New York is in terms of human population and culture. You wake up here and you want to have for breakfast, I don't know, Vietnamese, you go across the street and you find it. Colombia is a little bit like that but in terms of nature.

We are number one in orchids, number one in birds, number two in reptiles, in plants, number three, and it's so on and so on. Number four in mammals. Whatever you look at, wherever you look at from any angle, you're going to find one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. The leadership of our authorities, including the mayor of Cali and the president of Colombia, has made it possible that this year we host the COP16, which is the most important convention that gathers leaders around the world to talk and work about this, to preserve life in our planet.

I want to take this opportunity to invite you all to join us to the COP16 this year and to help us conserve the life in our planet and our natural resources. Thank you very much. Now I'm going to switch to Spanish.

Quiero darle la bienvenida a todos los connacionales en la ciudad de Nueva York que nos acompañan hoy. Quiero agradecerles porque ustedes mantienen en alto el nombre de nuestro país con su trabajo y hacen de esta ciudad la gran ciudad que es alrededor del mundo. Quiero agradecerle a Alejandro y a su grupo musical por traernos un poquito del sabor de Colombia para celebrar nuestro cumpleaños. A toda su banda, muchas gracias por acompañarnos.

Y les contaba que hoy quiero, como me pidieron mantenerlo corto porque estamos en una alerta de calor, decir simplemente dos cosas: uno, expresar nuestra gratitud con las autoridades de la ciudad de Nueva York por todo lo que hacen por nosotros, incluso cuando a veces les cuesta recriminación por personas que no están de acuerdo. Ellos no han sido sino generosos, nos han extendido una mano amiga y nos acompañan y nos ayudan cada vez que nosotros los solicitamos y por eso estamos muy agradecidos con el alcalde Adams y con todo su equipo que está acá presente con nosotros; y dos, poner en perspectiva un poquito lo que es Colombia en términos de biodiversidad en el mundo porque, así como Nueva York es uno de esos lugares en donde ustedes, en términos de población humana, encuentran a todo el mundo entero; en Colombia, es una representación en términos de biodiversidad, la belleza y la abundancia de nuestro planeta en términos de servicios ecosistémicos.

Y por eso estamos muy contentos y orgullosos de que este año la ciudad de Cali, con el trabajo duro de este señor y el presidente de la nación, entre otros, la ministra de Ambiente, van a ser los anfitriones de esta importante convención que reúne a líderes de todo el mundo para hablar de cómo preservar la vida, conservar la biodiversidad en nuestro planeta. Así que, es una invitación para que todos nos acompañen en ese esfuerzo y en esa dirección. Muchas gracias.

Translation: I want to welcome all the fellow nationals in the city of New York who are joining us today. I want to thank you because you keep the name of our country in high regard with your work and make this city the great city that is around the world. I want to thank Alejandro and his musical group for bringing us a little bit of the flavor of Colombia to celebrate our birthday. To all your band, thank you very much for joining us.

I was telling you that today I want, as they asked me to keep it short because we are in a heat alert, to say simply two things. One, express our gratitude to the authorities of New York City, for everything they do for us, even when sometimes it is hard for them to recriminate people for people who do not agree. They have not been generous, they have extended a friendly hand to us and they accompany us and help us every time we request it. That is why we are very grateful to Mayor Adams and all his team who is here with us. Two, to put into perspective a little bit of what Colombia is in terms of biodiversity in the world, because just like New York is one of those places where you, in terms of human population, find everyone in the world, Colombia is a representation in terms of biodiversity, the beauty and abundance of our planet in terms of ecosystem services.

That is why we are very happy and proud that this year the city of Cali, with the hard work of this gentleman and the president of the nation, among others, the Minister of the Environment, will be the host of this important convention that brings together leaders from all over the world to talk about how to preserve life and preserve biodiversity in our planet. So, this is an invitation for everyone to join us in that effort and in that direction. Thank you very much.

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