OPTIMISM OF GENERAL OMAR TORRIJOS THAT COMPLETE AGREEMENT WITH THE UNITED STATES ON CANAL TREATY TALKS WILL SOON BE ACHIEVED

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06888269
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: September 17, 2021
• Case Number: F-2020-01126
• Publication Date: July 24, 1977

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THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE
THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED
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AND EXTRACTION OF INFORMATION CONTROLLED BY ORIGINATOR
CITE TDFIR DB-315/08627-77
.DIST 24 JULY 1977
COUNTRY: PANAMA
DOI 21 JULY 1977
SUBJECJ: OPTIHISH OF GENERAL CHAR TORRIJOS THAT COMPLETE AGREE..
MENT WITH THE UNITED STATES ON CANAL TREATY TALKS WIL!-
SOON BE ACHIEVED �
AC0
TO, STATE: NO DISTRIBUTION EXCEPT TO mR. HAROLD SAUMDERS
TREASURY NO DISTRIBUTION. EXCEPT To HR. FOSTER COLLINS, SPECIAL
ASSISTANT TO THE SECRETARY (NATIONAL SECURITY)
2..., DURING REF INGS WITH THE PANAMANIAN CANAL TREATY
' t
NEGOTI AT ING TEAM ON 21 JULY 2.977, GENERAL CHAR TORRIJOS
HERRERAi CHIEF OF GOVERNMENT, STATED THAT THE TREATY TALKS
14.-o
APPEARED TO BE IN THE FINAL PHASE AND THAT HE WAS OPTIMIST IC
S
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FURTHER DISSEMINATION AND USE OF THIS INFORMATION SUBJECT TO
CONTROLS STATED AT BEGINNING AND END OF REPORT.
THIsin,scumgliT Is NOT TO BE REpRODUCE10
�
C.Ja MP LE TE AGREEMENT. COULD EE RE AC NED WI TH T HE UNITED STATES
(WALL OUTSTANDING ISSUES BY THE END OF JULY 1 97 7. TORR IJOS
SA IDJHE UNITED STATES WAS PREPARING A NEW PROPOSAL ON THE
COMPENSATION ISSUE THAT APPARENTLY WOULD COME CLOSER TO PANAMAIS
,POSITION ON THIS ISSUE. TORRI JOS COMMENTED THAT PANAMANIAN
NEGOTIATORS ROMULO ESCOBAR BET HANG OURT AND A RI ST IDES
R 0:Y 0 WOULD RETURN TO WASHINGTON EARLY IN THE WEEK OF 25-31
JU�LY.I.T.0 PURSUE THE CyMPENSATION TALKS AND THAT THE R Em !ANDER 0 F
�
THEzi�TE AM WOULD STAY IN PANAMA TO CONTINUE WORK.
2.: AT ONE POINT DURING THESE MEETINGS WITH TORRI JOS,
FOREIGN MI NI ST ER N IC OL AS G 0 NE A L EE -REVILLA
EXPRESSED STRONG DISAPPROVAL OF U, S. TACTICS WITH REGARD TO THE
C,OtIMISATI ON 1 ALKS. HOWEVER, RODRIG r.RORYI, G 0 NE A �LE E,
.TREAZY..NEGOT IATOR AND CONFIDANT OF. TORRIJOS, ANSWERED THE
FOREIGN MINISTER BY SAYING THAT PANAMA COULD NOT CONTINUE
NEGOTIATING THIS ISSUE I NDEF IN ITELY, THAT IT WAS NOW NECESSARY
�.
,TOIR'EACH A FINAL AGREEMENT. �ROY GONEALEE SAID THERE WOULD NOT
':�'.ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO REACH A FINAL AGREEMENT BECAUSE RANA mA IS
.taOMY COULD NOT ST AND TWO MORE YEARS OF UNCERTAINTY REGARDING
TREATY, (SOURCE COMMENT: SENIOR- PANAMANIAN OFFICIALS
�
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INTERPRET RORy GONEALE21 REMARKS TO MEAN THAT TORRIJOS HAS
DE CI DE D TO ARRIVE AT THE. BEST POSSIBLE FORMULA NOW WITH NO
F.14.1!4R; DELAY IN THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS,)
.1
31
TORRIJOS AND THE PANAMANIAN NEGOTIATORS ALSO DISCUSSED
PLANS FOR A POSSIBLE MEETING OF CHIEFS OF ST ATE OF PANAMA, COLOMBIA,
VENEUELA, AND COSTA RICA IN BOGOTA ON 30-31 JULY. TORRIJOS SAID
GONEALEE -REV ILLA WAS WORKING ON PLANS FOR THE MEETING, WHICH
WOULD TAKE PLACE IF FINAL CONCEPTUAL AGREEMENT WERE REACHED WITH
THE. UNITED STATES ON THE NEW TREATY. TORRIJOS COMMENTED THAT HE
HOPED TO BE ABLE TO FIRST INFORM THESE HEADS OF ST ATE PRIVATELY
-.4
THAT THE TREATY TALKS HAD CULMINATED IN AN AGREEMENT THAT WAS
SATISFACTORY 10 PANAMA, AND THEN AFTER THE MEETING TO MAKE A
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT. (SOURCE COMMENT: ALTHOUGH TORRIJOS WAS
OPTIMISTIC WHILE DISCUSSING PLANS FOR A CHIEFS OF STATE MEET 1NGt
�
E.fGAV.E,,THE IMPRESSION ,JHAT SUCH A MEETING WOULD NOT TAKE PLACE
114,,
Ir,CONCEPTUAL AGREEMENT WERE NOT REACHED WITH THE UNITED STATES
DURING THE FINAL WEEK OF JULY,)
4. TORRIJOS ALSO RAISED ONCE MORE THE IDEA OF MEETING WITH
THE .PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AT SOME POINT FOLLOWING THE
BOGOTA MEETING, 1DRRIJOS SUGGESTED THAT SUCH A mEET 1NG WOULD
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TDFIRDB-315./D8627-77
PAGE :4 OF 6 PAGES
���
THIS :DOCUMENT IS wr TO BE REPRODUCED
ALLOWTHE TWO HE ADS OF GOVERNMENT TO MAKE A JOINT PULBIC
, APPEARANCE THAT WOULD FORMALLY I ND I C AT E THEIR BACKING OF THE
CONCEPTUAL AGREEMENT, AND THUS SET THE STAGE.FPR DRAFTING THE NEW
TREATY I NS TRUmENT
5. SENIOR PANAMANIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DO NOT BELIEVE
THE?:DURRENT LANDS AND WATERS DISCUSSIONS. HEADED 91 LIEUTENANT
' COLONEL ARMANDO C 0 N T R ER A Ss 0�3 OF THE NATIONAL GUARD
( ON).iREPRESENT A POSSIBLE STALEMATE IN THIS PHASE OF THE
NE OOTiAT1 N G PR OD ES S THE OU TS TA ND ING LANDS AND WATERS ISSUES
ARE1EDHNI CA L RATHER THAN POLITICAL IN NATURE* ACCORDING TO Tiq
PANAMANIAN TEC HN IC IANS INVOLVED IN THE *TALKS . ALSO A ALTHOUGH
CONTRERAS TAKES - PART I N SE SS IONS OTHER THAN THE TECHNICAL LANDS
ANDAAIERS T AL KS ' MEMBERS OF THE P AMMAR I&R REGOTtova TEAK
� co.fw4HA HE. HAS NOT I NF LVENCED OTHER ASPECTS OF THE NZQQT1All cm,
4
04 THE PANAMANIAN NEGOTIATORS WHO WILL REMAIN IN PANAMA
WILLp0 NTI NUE STUDYING THE DRAFT TREATY PRESENTED SY THE U.S.
RE EOM AT OR S DU RI NO 1 HE WEE K or 18-23 4 lILVi TRE PANAMA NI AK
NE WI Al OR S HAVE CRITICIZED CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE 11 iS DR AF T
TREATY BUT TO DATE NO SERIOUS SUBST ANTI VE D ZSCR IP WV ES HAVE
SURIF�AC ED * THE P AN AM AN IAN NE GO TI AT ORS ARE DU RR EN ILI' PREPARING 4
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'580iEfr
FURTHER DISSEMINATION AND USE OF THIS INFORMATION SUBJECT TO
CONTROLS STATED AT BEGINNING AND END OF REPORT.
1713447:DOCU11ENT TS NQT TO BE. REPRODUCED
SEPARATE DRAFT TREATY AS A COUNTER-PROPOSAL WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED
T.0-THEYU.S. FOR CONSIDERATION IN ARRIVING AT A FINAL DOCUMENT,
MEMBERS ..OF. THE TEAM ARE HOPEFUL
COMPLETED BY EARLY AUGUST,
,
THAT A PANAMANIAN DRAFT CAN BE
E MEETINGS WITH TORRI JOS WERE HELD THROUGHOUT THE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING OF 21 JULY, PERSONS ATTENDING THE mEETI NGS
IN ADDITION TD ESCOBAR, GONEALei�EREVILLA, ROYO, AND RORY GONEALE2
:INCLUDED N IC OL AS A RD rf ()BARLETT A, MINISTER OF PLANNING
AND .ECON,,OM.IC POLICY; ADOLF 0 AHUM AD A CORCHO, MINISTER OF
�
LABGgu GI OS A L A S DOMI NG UEE. RECTOR or THE UN! VERS ITN' OF
GUEYARRAL
PA NAHA-rCA RL OS L 0 P E 2 / AND DIOGENES DE LA R OS AP
TREATY' ADV IS OR S; ABRAHAM S A !ED, MINISTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH;
,ERNESTO:)..E R E E �B AL L A D A R E S, ECONOMIC ADVISOR TO
loRR CARLOS 02 ORES T YPALDOS, DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER;
AND E N DARI OHERRER A PERDOMO, MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL
LEO
sVE: commissi ON. .(SOURCE. COMMENT; THERE WERE NO GN
,�
f�F-F- ERSPESEWT DuR ING -.THEsE ET INOS,1.
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DISSEM:
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