On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Honduras on the 193rd anniversary of your independence.

The United States pursues its shared priorities with the government and people of Honduras. Together, we are working to strengthen security and economic growth, deepen respect for human rights, and build capacity in law enforcement and judicial institutions. We look forward to working with President Hernandez and his administration to further these goals and build peace and prosperity for all Hondurans.

I wish all “Catrachos” in Honduras and abroad peace and prosperity in the year ahead.