SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS RELATED TO THE US STAND ON HUMAN RIGHTS (26 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 1977) - 1977/08/26

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06627965
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: August 26, 1977

Approved for Release: 2018/10/02 C06627965
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PET
CENTRAL INITITIO7NCE AGENCY
DIRb,:"IORATE OF INIHIIGENCE
SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMF_NTS RELATED TO THE US STAND ON HWAN RIGHTS
(26 _August-1 September 1977)
T'ico7i-Lation is D2,epared weekly by the Office of Re onal and
AnaZysis. Inquiries mai( be directed
fe Jt zoa Isses
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LATIN AMERICA
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The Catholic Church in Brazil is moderately pleased
with efforts by top level government and military officials to
curb human rights abuses. The US stand on human rights is
seen as having been instrumental in motivating improvements.
Brazilian churchmen believe that President Geisel
and other key leaders are sincere in their efforts to improve
Brazil's human rights performance, but the clerics remain
disturbed over continuing abuses and they are not overly
sanguine about prospects for halting unauthorized actions by
middle and lower level seCTi_rity officials.
Argentine President Videla recently told Assistant Secretary
of State Todman that the Argentine military is committed to
returning the country to a thoroughly representative democracy.
Videla admitted, however, that several recent dramatic
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disappearances are the result of some elements of the security
forces being beyond the government's control. As the antiterrorism
campaign winds down, human rights abuses and violence resulting
from inter- and intra- service rivalries are becoming more
aparent. The abduction of the Argentine ambassador to Venezuela
remains unsolved, as does the disappearnace of a prominent
labor leader several months ago and of a number of lawyers
more recently. The government is indeed unable to control the
activities of certain factions within its own ranks. Rivalries
within the power structure also played a role in Argentina's
decision this week to cancel its participation in UNITAS
XVIII, an upcoming joint Naval exercise with the US. Military
hardliners had severely criticized VideZa for being :too accom-
morif7ting to recent US official visitors, and they apparently
seized on the UNITAS-US security assistance issue to undermine
the president's prestige.
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