PRESIDENT BETANCUR ON NEGOTIATING WITH THE SANDINISTAS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801120076-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 76
• Publication Date: January 21, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

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INCOMING
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TOR: 2100042 JAN 84
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DE RUESBG M0744/01 0202249
ZNY CCCCC 2ZH
0 2022462 JAN 84
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1493
INFO RUEHLL/CONTADORA COLLECTIVE
BT
C O N F I D E ~I T I A L BOGOTA 00744
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO S/SE AMBASSADOR STONE AND
TO H FOR CONGRESSMAN SOLARZ
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL, NU, ES, CO
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT BETANCUR ON NEGOTIATING WITH
- THE SANDINISTAS
2. IN THE COURSE OF AN HDUR-AND-A-HALF MEETING
THE EVENING OF JANUARY 18, PRESIDENT BETANCUR
TOLD CODEL SOLAR2 AND THE AMBASSADOR THE
FOLLOWING CONCERNING COMING NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE
GRN PURSUANT TO THE FINAL RESOLUTION TAKEN BY
THE CONTADORA MEETING IN PANAMA ON JANUARY 8.
3. CONGRESSMAN SOLARZ ASKED IF IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE SECURITY PROVISIONS ENVISIONED BY THE PANAMA
CONTADORA AGREEMENT WERE CONTINGENT ON ACCEPTANCE
OF DEMOCRACY AND DEMOCRATIC PLURALISM BY ALL THE
COUNTRIES IN CENTRAL AMERICA. BETANCUR SAID YES,
THAT A "DEMOCRATIC OPENING" IN ALL THE CENTRAL
AMERICAN COUNTRIES IS "BASIC." HE SAID HE WAS
WORKING TO SPEED-UP THE PROCESS OF DEMOCRATIZATION,
INCLUDING IN GUATEMALA AND PANAMA. NICARAGUA, HE SAID,
HAS ANNOUNCED ELECTIONS WHICH ORIGINALLY WERE SET
FOR 1986, THEN LATE 1985, NOW EARLY 1985, AND MIGHT
BE MOVED UP t0 LATE THIS YEAR.
4. SOLARZ ASKED IF THE GRN IS REALLY COMMITTED TO
DEMOCRATIC PLURALISM AND OBSERVED THAT, WHEN HE SPOKE
WITH DANIEL ORTEGA A YEAR AGO, ORTEGA HAD CONDITIONED
POLITICAL PARTIES' PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIONS ON THE
PARTIES' ACCEPTANCE OF THE SANDINISTA REVOLUTION AND
COMMITMENT TO FUNCTION ONLY WITHIN ITS FRAMEWORK.
THIS, SOLARZ SAID, DID NOT SOUND LIKE PLURALISM
AS THE U.S. AND COLOMBIA UNDERSTAND IT.
BETANCUR REPLIED THAT THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE IN THE
GRN ON THIS POINT. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE, HE SAID,
BETWEEN WHAT DANIEL ORTEGA BELIEVES DEEP IN HIS HEART
AND WHAT HE FEELS HE REALISTICALLY WILL HAVE TO DO.
ORTEGA WOULD LIKE THE WHOLE POLITICAL PROCESS TO TAKE
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OFF FROM THE SANDINISTA REVOLUTION.
NOT ALL THE OTHER COMANDANTES, BETANCUR AVERRED,
BELIEVE THIS IS ESSENTIAL. HOWEVER. MANY THINK THE
FMLN WILL WIN ANY ELECTION HELD IN NICARAGUA SO GREATER
RISKS CAN BE TAKEN. BETANCUR WENT ON TO SAY THAT,
SO SURE IS THE FMLN THAT IT WOULD WIN THAT ORTEGA
HAO TOLD HIM THAT THE JUNTA HAS ALREADY WITHDRAWN
THE CONDITION THAT ELECTIONS IN NICARAGUA WOULD HAVE
TO TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE SANDINISTA
REVOLUTION, AS ORTEGA HAD PREVIOUSLY TOLD SOLARZ.
5. SOLARZ ASKED BETANCUR TO CONFIRM THAT THE
GRN'S POSITION HAD REALLY CHANGED, THAT IT IS
NOW WILLING TO HOLD FREE ELECTIONS. BETANCUR
REPEATED THAT IT WAS. SOLARZ REMARKED THAT HE THOUGHT
IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THE GRN TO ACCEPT THE BASIC
CHANGES IN NICARAGUA'S PRESENT POLITICAL SYSTEM
NECESSARY FOR FREE ELECTIONS. BETANCUR SAID ONE MUST
HAVE FAITH, THAT "FAITH IS BELIEF IN WHAT WE DON'T
BELIEVE IN." HE SAID HE IS TAKING SMALL STEPS TO FORCE
THE GRN FORWARD TOWARD FREE ELECTIONS, BIT BY BIT.
HE SAID MEXICO AND COLOMBIA HAD OFFERED TO HELP
NICARAGUA PERFECT ITS ELECTORAL PROCESS.
BUT, HE ADDED, IT IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE THAT THE GRN
WILL DECIDE NOT TO HOLD ELECTIONS AT ALL.
6. BETANCUR STATED THAT HE HAD URGED THE GRN TO
HOLD ELECTIONS THIS YEAR. HE HAD ASKED THE GRN
WHAT IT FEARED FROM ElECT20NS IT FELT CONFIDENT
Df WINNING. HE SAID THE REPLY HAD BEEN THAT THE
GRN FEARED ITS RADICAL STRUCTURE WOULD HAVE TO
BE ALTERED IF THERE WERE TO BE FREE ELECTIONS.
THEY FEARED THE PLAY OF POLITICAL PARTIES, A FREE PRESS,
ACTIVITY BY THE CHURCH, BUSINESSMEN, AND SO ON;
PROBLEMS, BETANCUR SAID WITH A SMILE, THE GRN
DOES NOT FACE NOW.
7. SOLARZ ASKED IF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JANUARY 8
PANAMA CONTADORA AGREEMENT IS ONE WHOLE PACKAGE OR
CAN IT BE DIVIDED INTO SEPARATE PARTS. BETANCUR
RESPONDED THAT IT IS ONE PACKAGE WITH SEPARATE
COMPARTMENTS. THERE ARE GLOBAL AND THERE ARE
BILATERAL PRINCIPLES TO BE FULFILLED.
A5 TO THE LATTER, THE CONTADORA COUNTRIES HAVE SET
SOME DATES FOR COMPLETION OF SPECIFIC STEPS AND ARE
PUSHING FOR ADHERENCE TO THEM. BETANCUR SAID HE IS
ON THE PHONE PRODDING HIS CONTADORA COLLEAGUES CONSTANTLY
WONDERED IF THERE IS ANY BASIS FOR A REAL AGREEMENT
BETWEEN HONDURAS OR EL SALVADOR AND NICARAGUA.
BETANCUR RESPONDED THAT IN CENTRAL AMERICA NOBODY
BELIEVES IN ANYTHING, NOT IN THE CONTADORA PROCESS,
NOT IN THE U.S. OR IN THE USSR. HONDURAS, IN PARTICULAR,
HE SAID, DEPENDS COMPLETELY ON THE U.S. --
ITS ECONOMY, ITS DEFENSE, EVERYTHING. HE SAID
GENERAL ALVAREZ IS BLINDLY PRO-U.S., BUT ADMITTED
HONDURAS IS A SPECIAL CASE. BETANCUR SAID THAT THE
GRN KNOWS THIS AND THAT THEREFORE NICARAGUA WILL AGREE
NOT TO AID THE GUERRILLAS IN EL SALVADOR AND WILL
LEAVE COSTA RICA ALONE IF HONDURAS WILL LEAVE
NICARAGUA ALONE. BETANCUR SAID HONDURAS STRIKES
AGAINST NICARAGUA IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY U.S. ASSISTANCE,
NICARAGUA RESPONDS IN KIND, AND HONDURAS FEELS MORE
JUSTIFIED IN REQUESTING U.S. ASSISTANCE. AND SO ON.
THE CONTADORA FOUR REGARD THE NICARAGUA/HONDURAS BORDER
AS CRITICAL. ARRANGEMENTS MUST BE MADE FOR IT TO BE
CAREFULLY MONITORED. DITTO WITH THE GULF OF FONSECA.
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9. SOLARZ ASKED IF THE JANUARY 8 CONTADORA AGREEMENT
REQUIRES A DIALOGUE WITHIN EACH CENTRAL AMERICAN
COUNTRY, ASKING ESPECIALLY ABOUT NICARAGUA.
BETANCUR SAID, IN PRINCIPLE, YES, BUT DANIEL ORTEGA
BELIEVES IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DIALOGUE WITH
SOME OF THE NICARAGUAN OPPOSITION GROUPS.
BETANCUR SAID HE URGED ORTEGA TO BEGIN BY ESTABLISHING
A DIALOGUE WITH SOME OPPOSITION GROUPS --
WITH THOSE WITH WHOM IT IS POSSIBLE. BETANCUR HOPES
THAT FROM SUCH A BEGINNING A MDRE EXTENSIVE DIALOGUE
CAN BE DEVELOPED STEP BY STEP. HE IS STILL-NOT SURE
SUCH A DIALOGUE WILL EVER COME ABOUT, HOWEVER.
10. SOLARZ AGAIN ASKED WHY THE SANDINISTA LEADERS
WOULD AGREE NOW TO ACCEPT OEMDCRACY AND DEMOCRATIC
PLURALISM. BETANCUR REPLIED WITH A BIBLICAL PARABLE.
CHRIST AND HIS DISCIPLES CAME UPON A DEAD DOG.
THE DISCIPLES COMPLAINED OF ITS STINK, BUT CHRIST SAID
IT HAD A. FINE SET OF TEETH. LIKEWISE, QUOTH BETANCUR,
THE U.S. INVASION OF GRENADA GAVE OFF AN UNPLEASANT
SMELL, BUT HAD NICE TEETH. GRENADA HAS BEEN A
DISSUASIVE INFLUENCE FOR CUBA VIS A VIS NICARAGUA.
BETANCUR SAID CASTRO HAS TOLD THE GRN HE COULD NOT HELP
IT IF THE U.S. ATTACKED NICARAGUA, AND THIS IDEA HAS
IMPRESSED THE GRN TO SOME EXTENT. THE U.S. ACTION
IN GRENADA WITHOUT A DOUBT HAD MORE IMPACT ON NICARAGUA
THAN HAS U.S. ASSISTANCE TO THE CONTRAS. U.S. SUPPORT
FOR THE CONTRAS STRENGTHENS THE SANDINISTAS BY UNITING
THE COUNTRY FOR DEFENSE AGAINST WHAT IS SEEN AS NDRTH
AMERICAN AGGRESSION. BETANCUR TERMED U.S. NAVAL
MANEUVERS IN THE CARIBBEAN "AN ABSURDITY."
HE DENIED TFlAT THE CONTRAS MAKE THE GRN MORE FLEXIBLE.
11. BETANCUR SAID THAT THE GUERRILLAS IN EL SALVADOR
("SUBJECTIVE AGENTS") REQUIRE ESPECIAL "SUBJECTIVE
TREATMENT." THEY SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL
ELECTIONS AND PERHAPS EVEN IN TRANSITION GOVERNMENT
ARRANGING THE ELECTIONS -- NOT WITH DECISIVE
INFLUENCE, BUT WITH REPRESENTATION. IF THEY DO NOT,
THE ELECTIONS BECOME A FARCE. BY THE SAME TOKEN,
IN NICARAGUA THE SANDINISTAS ARE "SUBJECTIVE AGENTS"
AND REQUIRE SPECIAL "SUBJECTIVE" ATTENTION.
BUT IN BOTH COUNTRIES THE "OBJECTIVE" ECONOMIC AND
SOCIAL CONDITIONS NEED ATTENTION, SUCH AS THE
PROVISION OF INFRASTRUCTURE, SCHOOLS, ROADS, WATER SUPPLY.
THIS THE KISSINGER REPORT IGNORES, SAID BETANCUR.
IF THE U.S.. WERE TO PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE DIRECTLY
TO THE NICARAGUAN PEOPLE, THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE
SANDINISTA REGIME WOULD WANE, BETANCUR CONTENDED.
12. THE OTHER ASPECTS OF BETANCUR'S MEETING WITH
CODEL SOLARZ, DEALING WITH BETANCUR'S COMMENTS ON OTHER
COUNTRIES IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA, WILL BE
REPORTED SEPTEL.
WATSON
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