DIPLOMATS SAY HAVANA WANTS WIDE U.S. TALKS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000201040048-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 1, 2010
• Sequence Number: 48
• Publication Date: March 26, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/01: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201040048-4
,flRT i CLE
ii!o wt's ay.
D'
wwana. Wants
NEW YORK TP.h!ES
26 mom 1982
Central and South America.
Mr. Castafeda has refused to discuss
the details of his talks in Havana, but he
said in an interview today that he was
hopeful of some reconciliation between
the United States and Cuba as part of a
reduction of tensions In the area.
"It Won't be quick, but I think it's ad-
vancing," he.said, adding that Mexico
did not aspire to mediate between the
'ode I S.: Ta1a,
MEXICO CITY, March 25 -Cuba is I promote negotiations between the Rea
ready to discuss all aspects of the situa. ; gan Administration and the leftist re-
Lion in. the- Caribbean basin with the
Reagan Administration,. diplomatic
sources said today, but it will not with-
draw support for Salvadoran rebels as a
condition for such negotiations.
The sources said that was the essence'
of the message delivered last weekend'
by President Fidel Castro through Mex.
ico's Foreign Minister; Jorge Castaiie-
da de la Rosa, to a special State Depart-
ment envoy. Gen. Vernon A. Walters,'
who had held a secret four-hour meet
ing with the Cuban' leader.;early this
month in Havana...
The _sources' added that: Mr tCasiro
was pleased by' his. meeting with- Gen-
era! Walters, who is. a former. Deputy
Director'of Central Intelligence; and
was hopeful that it would be followed by:
further negotiations with the Reagan:
Administration.
_ "The Cubans say that no arms have
gone from. Cuba to El Salvador for the
past 14 months; but they can't assume.
an.obligation tgstop aidingthe-guerril_.
ids if thisprobleria is seen in isolation,,!.
a knowledgeable : Western:..diplomat
said. "They -argue.. that~tte situation
would be different. if the United states:
stopped arming the Salvadoran junta or
peacetalks began in El SaIvador."'' .-
The souse said that, while the
Cuban presence- in-- Africa ?'-and the
United States ecorloraic ,blockade of
Cuba were not discussed by Mr. Castro
and General Walters, Havana clearly
preferred negotiations with Washington
that covered the entire relationship be-
tweent2netwonations.
The sources added that Mr. Castaise-
da, during a two?day visit.to Havana
last weekend, conveyed. a.. message
from Secretary of State Alexander M.
Haig Jr. that Washington still gave top.
,priority to an end to Cuban "Involve
.went" in:El.Salvador and. elsewhere in
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/01: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201040048-4
Pottillo of Mexico suggested that his
s 1D *Ss~ie.rYo:+c riiaes nation serve as a "communicator" to
ghmes in Cuba and Nicaragua and also
between El Salvador's warring inc..
tion s. Mr. Lopez Portillo has said
United States talks with Cuba would fa-
cilitate solutions to the Salvadoran and
The Mexican Foreign Minister said.1
Nicaragua had expressed interest in
Mexico's participation in the negotia-
ticxis with Washington, "although I sus
pest the United States would prefer us
not to bethere."- . ,
"Mexico's role is limited," he added:
"We want to be a communicator and'
not a mediator
.?'
Mr. Castaheda 'noted that both the`
United States and Nicaragua have al-'
ready made proposals for negotiations'
with each other. "We don't think there's
enormous difference between the two-
positions, and we don't think they
i should have great difficulty in reaching ,.
!an arrangement," he said.
timistic on sail radon ~'aiks
i ` Questioned about the status of pro,
'posed negotiations between teaming.
fn