Biden Says U.S. Will Continue To Defend Freedoms, Human Rights 'Entitled To Every Person Around The World'

Washington D.C./09.11.23/Turan:  U.S. President Joe Biden proclaimed November 9 as World Freedom Day, pledging on Wednesday that his country, together with partners and allies, "will continue to defend the fundamental freedoms and human rights entitled to every person around the world," TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"On World Freedom Day, we remember that the hammer blow that brought down the Berlin Wall and the might that lifted the Iron Curtain were not sparked by the words of any single leader -- it was the people of Europe who spent decades fighting to free themselves and defend democracy," Biden said in a statement.

"Together, we recommit ourselves to this cause -- knowing that the darkness that drives autocracy is no match for the flame of liberty that lights the souls of free people everywhere," he added.

Biden went on to add,  "Around the globe, we are seeing a revival of the forces of autocracy, which are once again demonstrating contempt for the rule of law, democratic freedom, and the truth itself.  Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine is another battle in the long struggle between liberty and authoritarianism, one that compels us to remember that the fight for democracy is perennial and that we must stand up for our values each and every day."

The President pledged to "continue to stand with people around the world striving for a brighter future" in the face of autocratic attempts to forge a darker path.  

"As we support democracy abroad, we are mindful that our own democracy is still at risk.  My Administration is working tirelessly to show that democracies can deliver on the challenges that matter most in peoples' lives, and I call on the American people to remain vigilant in the defense of our democratic values and institutions," he added..

Biden concluded: "As we honor the hope felt around the world 34 years ago today when Berliners finally crossed from East to West and ushered in a new future, we remember that when we choose to stand together and recognize the common hopes that bind all humanity, we hold in our hands the power to bend the arc of history. Together, may we continue to live up to the promises we have made to ourselves, to the vulnerable, and to all those who will inherit the world we create.  May we work side-by-side to bend the arc of history for the good of the world."

Alex Raufoglu