On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Honduras on the 192nd anniversary of your independence on September 15. Our close and friendly ties reach back more than 157 years, and these connections are only reinforced by the vibrant Honduran community in the United States.

Together with the government and people of Honduras, we seek to strengthen security and economic growth, and deepen respect for human rights, rule of law and democracy in Honduras. As the Honduran people make their voices heard this November in national and local elections, we look forward to continued cooperation and shared success with the new government.

I wish all Hondurans peace, growth and prosperity in the year ahead.