OAS Unveils the Tall Torch of Liberty Sculpture by Greg Wyatt

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Ambassador Carlos Trujillo, Permanent Representative of the United States to the OAS, addresses the gathering at the unveiling of the “Tall Torch of Liberty” sculpture at OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C. He is joined by OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro and renowned American sculptor Greg Wyatt who donated the piece to the OAS for permanent display, September 4, 2019. (OAS Photo)
Ambassador Carlos Trujillo, Permanent Representative of the United States to the OAS, addresses the gathering at the unveiling of the “Tall Torch of Liberty” at OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C. He is joined by OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro and renowned American sculptor Greg Wyatt.

Remarks by
Ambassador Carlos Trujillo
Unveiling Ceremony for the Tall Torch of Liberty
Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Secretary Almagro, fellow Ambassadors and Member State representatives, distinguished guests, it is a pleasure to join you today to celebrate the renowned work of American sculptor Greg Wyatt, who is here with us today.

Mr. Wyatt, we are pleased to welcome you to the OAS, and thank you and the Newington-Cropsey Foundation for sharing your artistic passion and vision with our community through this profound piece, the Tall Torch of Liberty. Over at the State Department, I have the opportunity to appreciate another of Mr. Wyatt’s moving works, Soaring American Eagle.

It is fitting that this sculpture becomes part of the grounds of this Organization. The very foundation of our work is the defense of democratic liberty in our hemisphere.

As we unveil this sculpture, it reminds us of historic figures who led diverse peoples across the Americas in the fight for liberty: L’Ouverture, Martí, Bolivar, San Martín, Sucre, Washington, Hidalgo, to name a few.

But the quest for liberty in the Americas didn’t stop with this group. Much work was left to be done. Future generations would take on the struggles to end slavery, advance civil rights, expand voting rights, and create human rights constructs that serve to defend liberty today.

As we all know, fostering and maintaining liberty is work that is never quite finished. The struggle for freedom and the preservation of liberty lives on today. It drives efforts we undertake here at the OAS to support the desperate calls for freedom among those oppressed by brutal regimes in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

Therefore, let us be inspired by artists such as Greg Wyatt, whose art reminds us of those in the region who continue to fight for freedom and liberty, and may we all continue to support efforts to reclaim and uphold democracy throughout the Americas.

Thank you again for joining us today, and Mr. Wyatt, we look forward to enjoying the Tall Torch of Liberty for years to come here at the OAS.

By | 5 September, 2019 | Topics: News, Speeches

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