President Tsai visits Basilica of Suyapa and ROC Plaza in Tegucigalpa
In the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa on the morning of Monday, January 9 Honduras time (evening of January 9 Taipei time), President Tsai Ing-wen visited the Basilica of Suyapa and the Plaza Republica de China (Taiwan), thus beginning the second day of her itinerary in that country.
Upon arriving at the Basilica of Suyapa, President Tsai was welcomed at the main entrance by Carlo Magno Nunez, Rector of the Basilica. When they walked past a statue of Pope John Paul II, Rector Nunez explained to the president that the then pope had been to Honduras in 1983 and said mass at the Basilica of Suyapa.
Shortly thereafter, Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga escorted President Tsai into the basilica along with Elvira Alvarado and Hilda Rosario Hernandez Alvarado (the mother and sister of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez) to learn about the basilica’s history. The president also laid flowers before a statue of the Virgin of Suyapa.
President Tsai and her delegation then took seats to receive a blessing from Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga, who also prayed that may Taiwan be free of conflict and continue moving forward amid dialogue. The cardinal prayed for God to look over Taiwan, fill it with love and peace, and ensure that it continue on the path of democracy, social justice, progress, and development. He also asked God to bless Taiwan and see that Taiwan receives its just reward for all the assistance it has provided to Honduras for so many years.
After the conclusion of their visit to the Basilica of Suyapa, President Tsai and her delegation went to see the Plaza Republica de China (Taiwan). Tegucigalpa Mayor Nasry Juan Asfura Zablah had the plaza built along one of the city's main thoroughfares to thank Taiwan for its years of support for Honduran development, and to underscore the friendship between the two countries. Mayor Asfura greeted the president at the entrance to the plaza and presented her with a key to the city as a gesture of welcome to the delegation. President Tsai and the delegation members posed for a group photo before a scale model of the Taipei 101 skyscraper.
Among those present were National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮); Deputy Secretary-General to the President Yao Jen-to (姚人多); Minister of Foreign Affairs David T. Lee (李大維); Minister Wu Hsin-hsing (吳新興) of the Overseas Community Affairs Council; ROC Ambassador to Honduras Alejandro R.K. Huang (黃榮國); Honduran Ambassador to the ROC Rafael Fernando Sierra Quesada; Legislators Chen Ming-Wen (陳明文), Pasuya Yao (姚文智), Chuang Jui-Hsiung (莊瑞雄), Chou Chen Hsiu-Hsia (周陳秀霞), Yu Wan-Ju (余宛如), and Hung Tzu-Yung (洪慈庸); and Yilan County Magistrate Lin Tsung-Hsien (林聰賢).