US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday congratulated Colombia for the 203rd anniversary of the South American country’s independence from Spain.
In a press statement sent out by the US embassy in Bogota, Kerry, “on behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States,” said to be “delighted to send our best wishes to the Colombian people on the 203rd anniversary of your nation’s independence this July 20.”
Our deep bonds of friendship date back almost 190 years to the signing of a General Convention of Peace, Amity, Navigation, and Commerce in 1824, our first treaty with another country in the Americas. Since then, the binding ties between our countries have only grown stronger. We share a commitment to freedom, democracy and the rule of law, and maintain strong political, economic, cultural, and diplomatic ties.
John Kerry
The Secretary of State added that the US “stands by Colombia as it advances peace, economic development, and prosperity for all its citizens,” adding that Washington “looks forward to deepening our cooperation in the years to come.”
On July 20, 1810, Colombia declared independence from Spain, which had colonized the country centuries before.
