00:00At President's House on Friday, history in the making, as President Christine Kangaloo
00:06on the advice of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley bestowed one of Trinidad and Tobago's highest
00:11awards, the Hummingbird Medal, to outgoing United States Ambassador Candace Bond.
00:16According to the Office of the Prime Minister's website, the Hummingbird Medal may be awarded
00:21to any person who has rendered loyal and devoted service beneficial to Trinidad and Tobago
00:27in any field of human endeavor or for gallantry or for humane action.
00:32Those present for the brief ceremony were Chief Justice Ivor Archie, Attorney General
00:37Reginald L'Amour, and Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Amy Brown.
00:40Soon to be Prime Minister, Energy Minister Stuart Young was also in attendance.
00:45Also present were Ambassador Bond's husband and her daughter.
00:49After receiving the Hummingbird Medal, Ambassador Bond spoke with the media and expressed her
00:54gratitude to Trinidad and Tobago.
00:56I'm so proud and humbled to receive this award today and I do so on behalf of all the
01:03people here and I do so on behalf of the United States of America and I represent my country
01:09with pride today.
01:10Thank you so very much.
01:13Ambassador Bond was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago during the
01:16administration led by U.S. President Joe Biden.
01:19I came here two years and two months ago.
01:23I fell in love with Trinidad and Tobago.
01:27Just the rich culture, the heritage, the resiliency and I was determined to ensure that we had
01:34a strong bilateral relationship but I was also determined that by the time I left I
01:39was going to be Trini to the bone.
01:41So I've got a while before I'm Trini to the bone but I feel today is a great celebration
01:51of our bilateral relationship and just the relationship that I have been able to build
01:56with the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
01:59During the Hummingbird Medal Award Ceremony, the Masters of Ceremonies acknowledged the
02:03role Ambassador Bond played in several areas of diplomacy between the U.S. and Trinidad
02:08and Tobago.
02:09What would you consider your biggest achievement or top three achievements during your tenure
02:14here as U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago?
02:18I would say one of the first ones was our cultural and our educational exchange and
02:26working hard to ensure that all children here in the country were able to receive public
02:33education and find a way to do that.
02:36The easing of U.S. sanctions on the government of Venezuela during Ambassador Bond's tenure
02:41contributed to the progress made on the deal between the government of Trinidad and Tobago
02:46led by Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley and the government of Venezuela led by President
02:50Nicolas Maduro on the drug and gas deal.
02:53I'm also very proud of our interactions with the government of Trinidad and Tobago,
02:59particularly in the areas of energy security and also in the issues of national security.
03:05We've worked very closely with the Minister of National Security and continue to do so.
03:10And I know I leave the embassy in great hands and our work will continue to flourish throughout
03:15the region.
03:16Ambassador Bond has said her favorite memory of Trinidad and Tobago is the people.
03:21And this is not the last time I'll be here.
03:23I'll be back for Carnival for sure.
03:26I participated in Carnival every year I've been here and I've just had the most marvelous
03:32time.
03:33And I thank you all for embracing my family the way that you have.
03:38Once Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election last year, the tenure of all U.S.
03:43ambassadors would end to make way for the new ones under his administration.
03:49Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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