DAILY INTELLIGENCE CABLE 12 DECEMBER 1981[SANITIZED] - 1981/12/12

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05100502
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: December 12, 1981

4 Approved for Release: 2018/09/17 C05106502C)
0 NID 81-288JX
DAILY INTELLIGENCE CABLE
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12 Decem er 1981
12 December 1981
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ARGENTINA: New President
General Galtieri, who was named to replace President
Viola yesterday, will have more power to deal with Ar en-
tina's manifold problems than his predecessor.
The 55-year-old Galtieri will retain his post as
Army commander after he assumes the presidential duties
on 22 December. Unlike Viola, he probably will receive
strong support from fellow members of the three-man ruling
military junta. He recently strengthened his position
through adroit changes in the Army hierarchy. 3.5(c)
Although Galtieriis power base is secure, he faces
a growing consensus among Argentines that military govern-
ment has exhausted itself and is incapable of effective
rule. The military regime has come under sustained fire
from the political parties, the press, the Church, and
organized labor for its failed economic policies, its
human rights record, and for official corruption.
Galtieri initially will project a strong presiden-
tial image that Argentines will respect. He is inexperi-
enced in making policy, however, and tends to act on
impulse. Galtieri also lacks ties to important civilian
groups, and he probably will have trorlifallying their
support for key government programs.
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Economic problems will pose the sternest test for
Galtieri. He will be under pressure to achieve quick
results in stablizing the peso, curbing resurgent infla-
tion, and restoring production in industry, where unem-
ployment has grown. 3.5(c)
Galtieri, who is strongly pro-US, is likely to sup-
port most of Washington's foreign policy objectives in
the hemisphere. In Argentina's territorial disputes
with Chile and the UK, however, he probably will be even
less flexible than Viola.
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