MIAMI – September 12, 2012 - During the first exclusive interview for a Spanish-language network since officially accepting the nomination at the Democratic National Convention, President Obama spoke with Telemundo News Anchor, José Díaz-Balart, about the situation in Libya following the assassination of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, among other important topics. Excerpts of the interview will air on Thursday, September 13, on “Un Nuevo Día” (7:00 a.m. ET/PT, 6 a.m. CT) and “Noticiero Telemundo” (6:30 p.m. ET/PT, 5:30 p.m. CT). An extended version will be broadcast on the network’s Sunday public affairs show “Enfoque con Jose Diaz-Balart” this Sunday, September 16 (12 p.m. ET/PT, 11 a.m. CT). Among the highlights:

About U.S. economic aid to the Middle East: “The Unites States doesn't have an option of withdrawing from the world and we're the one indispensable nation. Countries all around the world look to us for leadership, even countries where sometimes you experience protests and so it's important for us to stay engaged.”

About bringing the perpetrators to justice: “I hope it's to be able to capture them, but we're going to have to obviously cooperate with the Libyan government and I have confidence that we will stay on this relentlessly.”

About Romney’s reaction: “This wasn't the time for politics. I have observed that there's a tendency to shoot before you aim, as President, my obligation is to focus on security for our people, making sure that we gather all the facts, making sure that we're advancing American interests and not having ideological arguments on a day when we're mourning.”

About Egypt: “I don't think that we would consider them an ally, but we don't consider them an enemy. They're a new government that is trying to find its way. They were democratically elected… If they take actions that indicate they're not taking responsibility, as all other countries do where we have embassies, I think that's going to be a real big problem.”

President Obama´s exclusive Spanish-language interview is part of a series of informative specials and segments that make up “Decisión 2012” (“Decision 2012), a Telemundo News initiative that houses all reporting related to the 2012 elections. This initiative has included the complete coverage of the Presidential Primaries and the Democratic and Republican National Conventions; the release of the monthly national Latino Telemundo/NBC News/Wall Street Journal polls, as well as exclusive interviews with the candidates and key political figures. Recently, NBC News and Telemundo announced a partnership to deliver an unprecedented number of hours of political coverage in English and Spanish under the signature banner “Decision 2012.” Telemundo’s election coverage is complemented by the public service campaign “Vota por tu futuro” (“Vote for your future”) created to raise awareness among the Hispanic population about the importance of exercising the right to vote.

For the full transcript click here.