Delegates listening to opening speech.




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Background: The President of Uruguay, General Oscar Diego Gestido welcomes the leaders of 19 American nations to the formal opening session of the Punta del Este conference Wednesday (18 April).

The various delegations from most of the North, Central and South American nations gathered around a large circular table inside a gambling casino that has been taken over for the conference. They listened intently as President Gestido welcomed them and then set the keynote for the conference. He talked about the profound change underway in all the nations of the Western Hemisphere.

Here is a transcript of the portion of President Gestido's remarks that are heard, in ENGLISH translation, on this film:
"And we should say to public opinion that we are fully aware that we are indeed, living in an era of profound transformations at all levels; in the political sector, in the social sector and in the economic sector. And that behind those transformations we find the claims and the appeals of an i??overished world which will not be content with the lack of opportunity for progress and social development from those transformations and the voices raised in appeals the we find in the hemisphere.

We find the voices of our unemployed, of our rural populations, of our marginal populations, and of our frustrated masses. We are aware that we cannot ignore their voices because we would indeed be turning our backs upon history and our reply cannot be resignation or lack of courage but rather the launching of vigirous and well distributed program excluding privilege under the aegis of justice and with respect for man over and above everything."