PRESIDENT REAGAN'S PRESS CONFERENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801050097-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 4, 2008
• Sequence Number: 97
• Publication Date: May 15, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

Approved For Release 2008/12/04: CIA-RDP90BO1370R000801050097-2
UNCLASSIFIED
OLL/LD
INCOMING
STAT
EECISLA g iiAISONN
INL --==
84 4162002 SUD PAGE 001
TOR: 151441Z MAY 84
00 RUEAIIB
ZNR UUUUU ZOC STATE ZZH
00 RUEHC RUEHSN RUEOEHA
DE RUEHC #2483 1361440
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
0 R 151358Z MAY 84
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHSN/AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR IMMEDIATE 8011
INFO RUEOEHA/ USSOUTHCOM QUARRY HTS PN 8650
BT
UNCLAS STATE 142483
E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, ES
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT REAGAN'S PRESS CONFERENCE
1. FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF SALVADOR PORTION OF PRESIDENT
REAGAN'S MAY 14 PRESS CONFERENCE.
2. BEGIN TEXT: THE NEW YORK TIMES, MAY 15, 1984.
Q: MR. PRESIDENT. TO SWITCH THE SUBJECT FOR A MOMENT,
SENATOR HELMS HAS SAID THAT THE UNITED STATES BOUGHT THE
ELECTION IN EL SALVADOR. COULD YOU TELL US PLEASE,
EXACTLY WHAT WAS THE FINANCIAL INVOLVEMENT OF THE C.I.A.
AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES?
A:-- I DON'T THINK THAT THERE WAS ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY
AGENCY OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN
A PARTISAN FASHION IN THAT ELECTION.
-- THERE HAS BEEN OVERTLY, NOT COVERTLY, AID GIVEN TO
LABOR UNIONS, TO TRADE ASSOCIATIONS WITHIN THE VERY
FRAMEWORK OF THE PROGRAM THAT I ANNOUNCED BEFORE THE
BRITISH PARLIAMENT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. AND THAT IS
THE IDEA OF TRYING TO HELP DEMOCRACY BY STRENGTHENING
THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN A COUNTRY THAT LEAD TOWARD
DEMOCRACY, SUCH AS FREE LABOR UNIONS AND SO FORTH. AND
WE HAVE HELPED FINANCE THOSE.
-- NOW, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT SOME OF THOSE GROUPS THEN,
JUST AS OUR OWN DO, DECIDE TO TAKE A PARTISAN STAND IN
SUPPORT OF SOMEONE IN AN ELECTION. BUT THAT HAD NOTHING
TO DO WITH THE HELPING TO FUND THOSE ORGANIZATIONS. NOR
DO WE INTERVENE WITH WHAT THEY MAY WANT TO DO.
Q: MR. PRESIDENT, YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE REPORTS OR
ALLEGATIONS THAT THE C.I.A. COVERTLY GAVE MONEY TO SOME
OF THE PARTIES THAT ARE INVOLVED IS UNTRUE?
A: -- WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT I'M NOT GOING TO DISCUSS
INTELLIGENCE MATTERS OF THAT KIND OR WHAT AN AGENCY LIKE
THE C.I.A. MAY DO, BUT I'M HERE TJ TELL YOU THAT I AM
UNCLASSIFIED
STAT
Approved For Release 2008/12/04: CIA-RDP90BO1370R000801050097-2
 Approved For Release 2008/12/04: CIA-RDP90BO1370R000801050097-2
UNCLASSIFIED
84 4162002 SUO PAGE 002 NC 4162002
TOR: 151441Z MAY 84
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASSURED THAT WE HAVE NOT TRIED TO PARTICIPATE AS A
GOVERNMENT IN ANY WAY IN THE ELECTIONS IN EL SALVADOR.
-- AND I'D LIKE TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THE GROUP
THAT JUST WENT DOWN THERE TO OBSERVE THIS ELECTION - AND
WE'VE DONE THIS EVERY ELECTION. BUT THIS LAST GROUP,
COMPLETELY BIPARTISAN AND WITH SOME PEOPLE WHO ADMITTEDLY
WENT DOWN THERE WITH A DIFFERENT IDEA, CAME BACK AND
REPORTED TO ME - AND YOU CAN CHECK WITH ANY OF THEM -
THAT THEY MADE EVERY EFFORT TO VIEW THIS FROM THE
STANDPOINT OF ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE RIGHT ON UP TO THE
COUNTING. AND THEY WERE TOTALLY ENTHUSED AND CONVINCED
THAT THIS ELECTION WAS FAIR, THAT THE PEOPLE WERE
ENTHUSIASTICALLY IN SUPPORT OF IT, AND THAT THEY FOUND NO
EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING, EVEN JUDGING TO THE POINT OF THE
SUSPECTED THING OF THE THE MILITARY MAYBE INFLUENCING
PEOPLE. THEY SAW ONLY THE MILITARY IN PROTECTION OF THE
RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO VOTE. THEY REPORTED THAT THEY
WERE VERY COURTEOUS ABOUT ANSWERING QUESTIONS OR
DIRECTING PEOPLE TO WHERE THEY NEEDED TO GO AND SO FORTH.
-- THEY FOUND NOT A THING WRONG OR ANY HINT OF ANY
DISHONESTY OR FRAUD IN THE ELECTION. END TEXT. SHULTZ
END OF MESSAGE UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
Approved For Release 2008/12/04: CIA-RDP90BO1370R000801050097-2