CODELS BAKER AND SIMPSON VISIT WITH PRESIDENT LOPEZ PORTILLO

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00148R000300770031-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 7, 2011
• Sequence Number: 31
• Publication Date: January 31, 1982
• Content Type: CABLE

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DE RUEHME #1317/01 0291825.
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R 291822Z JAN 82
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE Y-ASHDC 7854
INFO RUEHCR/AMEMBASSY BELIZE 0108
RUESBA/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0223.
RUESGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0629
RUEHU8/USINT HAVANA 0307
RUESLM/AMEMBASSY LIMA 0250
RUESMG/AMEMBASSY MANAGUA 0425
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 0588 . .
PUESJO/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 0481
RUESAL/AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR 0459
RUESNA/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0158
BT
C 0 N F I D E N T I AL MEXICO 01317 0--?- COMBINED SECTION
EXOIS
E.O. 120651 GDS 01/15/88 (GAVIN9 JOHN) OR-M
TAGS$ OREP9 ELAB9 PEPR9 MX
SUBJECTS CODELS BAKER AND SIMPSON VISIT WITH PRESIDENT
LOPEZ PORTILLO
10 C ? ENTIRE TEXT
2. SUMMARY. OkAFT NOT CLEARED WITH CODELS BAKER AND
SIMPSON. -CODELS BAKER AND SIMPSON VISITED GOM PRESIDENT
JOSE LOPEZ PORTILLO AT LOS PINOS9 JANUARY 13 AT 1000. THE
NC 7909782
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CONVERSATIN DEALT ENTIRELYWITH CENTRAL AMERICAN AND
CUBAN ISSUES. LOPEZ PORTILO FOCUSED ON WHAT HE TERMED
THE THREE BASIC FACTORS AFFECTING THE REGION$ THE
POLITICAL STANCE OF CUBA; THE STATUS OF NICARAGUA, AND
THE CRISIS IN EL SALVADOR.
3. OVERVIEW. AFTER DESCRIBING THE CODEL'S PRIOR VISITS
TO LATIN AMERICAN STATES AND PASSING ON PRESIDENT
REAGAN?S GREETINGS TO JLP. SENATOR BAKER SAID THAT THE
CODEL HOPED JLP WOULD PROVIDE IT WITH AN OVERVIEW OF
CENTRAL AMERICAN DEVELOPMENTS, JLP AT FIRST GAVE THE
OBLIGATORY DEMURRAL THAT HE HAD EXPRESSED HIS VIEWS ON
CENTRAL AMERICA TO U.S. OFFICIALS SO OFTEN HE FELT A BIT
INHIBITED FROM REPEATING THEII HE THEN. HOWEVER.
DISCUSSED AT LENGTH SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS IN THE
HEMISPHERE. POINTING OUT THAT THE ALREADY. COMPLEX
RELATIONS BETWEEN COUNTRIES IN THE REGION HAVE BECOME MORE
COMPLEX CUE TO NORTH/SOUTH DEVELOPMENTS AND EAST/WEST RI-
VALRIES. HE SAID "LATIN AMERICA.IS BEING CRUCIFIED ON THE
AXES OF THESE CONFLICTING INTERESTS" (HERE HE MOTIONED
WITH HIS HAND AS THOUGH BLESSING THE GATHERING).
TOUCHING BRIEFLY ON CONDITIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA. HE THEN
FOCUSED ON CENTRAL AMERICAN PROBLEMS. HE BEGAN BY NOTING
THAT THE TOTAL POPULATION OF ALL FIVE CENTRAL AMERICAN
COUNTRIES IS ABOUT THAT OF MEXICO CITY; YET THE REGION
HAS BECOME THE FOCAL POINT OF..HEMISPHERIC DEVELOPMENTS
BECAUSE IT IS MOST REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CRUCIFIXION.
TO WHICH HE HAD JUST REFERRED. THE AREA'S PROBLEMS. HE
SAID. ARE INTIMATELY TIED TO WORLD ECONOMIC PROBLEMS.
WITH ALL THE LOCAL ECONOMIES BEING "PUNISHED" BY THE.
STATE-OF'THE WORLD ECONOMY. SINCE THEY CANNOT SOLVE
THEIR PROBLEMS ON THEIR OWN. HE ADDED. MEXICO HAS TRIED
TO FOLLOW UP CANCUN . BY. STIMULATING THE INTEREST OF THE
INDUSTRIALIZED WORLD IN CONTRIBUTING SOLUTIONS--A PROCESS
COMPLICATED BY THE EAST/WEST STRUGGLE.
EL SALVADOR, JLP EXPLAINED THAT HE WOULD NOT REFER
TO NON-INTERVENTION IN EL SALVADOR BECAUSE IT h AS A
GIVEN IN HIS ENTIRE ANALYSIS. HE STRESSED THAT MEXICO
HAD RECOMMENDED A POLITICAL SOLUTION--AS OPPOSED TO A
PURELY ELECTORAL ONE--IN WHICH THE VIEWS OF ALL THE
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PROTAGONISTS ARE CONSIDERED PRIOR TO ELECTIONS EVEN WHEN
THEY ARE ANTAGONISTIC. HE ADDED THAT POSSIBLY A CONSTI-
TUENT ASSEMBLY COULD PROVIDE THE BASES FOR A SOLUTION
(AS HAD BEEN THE CASE IN HONDURAS).
5. NICARAGUA. MATTERS ARE MORE-COMPLICATED IN NICARAGUA.
JLP. SAID. BECAUSE WE (I.E. PRESUMABLY BOTH MEXICO AND
,THE U.S.) DID NOT CONTRIBUTE IN TIME TO A PLURALISTIC
SOLUTION. NOR DEVELOP A SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT MIGHT HAVE
EASED THE POLITICAL PRESSURES ARISING FROM THE POPULAR
REVOLUTION. ISOLATING NICARAGUA HAS WORSENED. THE
SITUATION. WHICH HAS NOW BECOME PART OF THE CLASSIC
EAST/WEST CONFLICT. JLP CONCLUDED THAT HAVING FELT
CONFRONTED. THE SANDINISTAS ARE NOW ARMING.AND MINIMIZING
POLITICAL SOLUTIONS. AND THAT THE ISSUE HAS TURNED INTO
A U.S.-SOVIET PROBLEM VIA CUBA.
6, GUATEMALA. IN RESPONSE TO SENATOR BAKER'S INQUIRY
ON GUATEMALA. JLP RESPONDED THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE IT
WOULD GO 7NE-`*cA`"OF?THE -OTHERS*.-' GUATEMALA. HE SAID. IS
MORE INTEGRATECl.''.='A'ND ITS GOVERNMENT IS STRONGER. THERE
IS VIOLENCE. BUT THE COUNTRY IS ABOUT TO HAVE ELECTIONS
WHICH MAY LEAD TO A HEALTHY SOLUTION. MOREOVER. HE
SAID. GUATEMALA'S VIOLENCE IS NOT CRITICAL IN THAT IT HAS
BECOME A WAY OF LIFE AND DOES, NOT CARRY THE RISK THAT IT
DOES IN EL SALVADOR.
7. CUBA. ACCORDING TO JLP. CUBA ENTERED THE SOVIET
EXDIS
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE FOR MANY REASONS. NOT THE LEAST OF
WHICH WERE A LONG SERIES OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS. HE
BELIEVED THAT THE TIME. WAS PROPITIOUS-FOR AN INTELLIGENT
SOLUTION TO THE U.S.-CUBAN PROBLEM BECAUSE CASTRO. UNLIKE
THE NICARAGUANS. WAS NOT CORNERED. OF COURSE. HE'SAID.
THE SOLUTIONS TO BCTH PROBLEMS-(I.E. CUBA AND NICARAGUA)
COULD BE EITHER CALM OR BLOODY* BECAUSE THE PEOPLE IN
BOTH COUNTRIES ARE WILLING TO DIE IF PRESSED. "I UNDER-
STAND THESE PEOPLE." HE ADDED. "WE ARE RACIALLY ALIKE."
HE REPEATED THAT "MANY ARE.WILLING TO DIE."
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--JLP SAID THAT HE BELIEVED THAT THE CONDITIONS NECESSARY
FOR IMPROVED U.S.-CUBAN RELATIONS EXIST; IF THEY.DO NOT.
IT IS BECAUSE THE BASIS FOR SUCH A RELATIONSHIP IS LACKING
IN THE U.S.-SOVIET CONTEXT. AS LONG AS THE SUPERPOWERS
DO NOT HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING, HE ADDED, NONE OF THE.
PROBLEMS WITH CUBA OR CENTRAL AMERICA CAN BE SOLVED. THAT
IS WHY. HE EXPLAINED. MEXICO IS ADVOCATING U.S.-SOVIET
UNDERSTANDINGS IN CUBA* POLAND. NICARAGUA, ETC. AS FOR
THE FAVORABLE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR U.S??CUBAN RELATIONS. JLP
MAINTAINED THAT WHILE THE CUBAN REVOLUTION HAS SOLVED
CUBA'S MANY, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INEQUITIES. CUBA NOW
A'STANDARD.OF LIVING PROBLEM. WHICH CAN ONLY BE AMELIORATED
THROUGH RELATIONS WITH THE U.S., NOT MEXICO.. MEXICO,?HE
NOTED, COULD HELP BY BUYING SUGAR. AND AIDING IN OIL
EXPLORATION, BUT THAT IS ALL. SENATOR BAKER ASKED WHETHER
DISSATISFACTION WITH THE ECONOMIC SITUATION IN CUBA WAS
SUFFICIENT TO'PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE U.S. TO .
NEGOTIATE A DIMINUTION OF CUBAN TIES TO THE SOVIET UNION.
JLP SAID YES, SO LONG AS THE.AGREEMENT'VID NOT DESTROY
CUBA'S FUNDAMENTAL "SYSTEM OF LOYALTIES". SENATOR LAXALT
ASKED WHETHER IN VIEW OF CUBA'S PRESENT DEPENDENCE ON THE
USSR, CUBA COULD HAVE MEANINGFUL TALKS WITH THE U.S. JLP
SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THE COMPLEXITY OF THE MATTER. BUT THAT
IF THE U.S. APPROACHED IT IN THE SAME SPIRIT AS IN THE
CHINA NEGOTIATIONS, THERE WOULD BE A REAL POSSIBILITY FOR
AN ACCORD. HE EXPLAINED THAT NIXON HAD NOT TOUCHED ON
IDEOLOGICAL ISSUES OR INTERVENED IN CHINA'S RELATIONS
WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD, BUT HAD INSTEAD SOUGHT
INTELLIGENT SOLUTIONS FOR PEACE. A SIMILAR DETENTE. HE
SAID. IS NEEDED WITH REGARD TO CUBA AND THE PACIFICATION
OF THE CENTRAL AMERICAN/CARIBB.EAN AREA. JLP CONCLUDED
BY SAYING THAT HE WAS SPEAKING OF DETENTE, AND NOTHING
MORE. AND INSISTED THAT CIRCUMSTANCES ARE NOW PROPITIOUS
FOR ,A BEGINNING, SPEAKING FOR THE CODEL. SENATOR
HOLLINGS SAID THAT JLP'S LEADERSHIP WAS NEEDED TO SPREAD
DEMOCRACY IN THE REGION. AND THAT HE COULD NOT REMAIN
NEUTRAL. JLP REPLIED THAT HE WOULD BE LEAVING OFFICE IN.
TEN MDNTHSe AND THAT MEXICAN PRESIDENTS FADE AOAY, GAVIN.
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