WRAP-UP OF VISIT OF CODEL DECONCINI

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801030005-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 19, 2010
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: February 25, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/25: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000801030005-5
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TOR: 2517452 FEE 84
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TO RUEHC/ SECSTA-TE WASHDC 9833
INFO RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 8190
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 8843
RUEHSN/AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR 8486
RUEHTG/AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA 8364
BT
EC 12356: DECL OADR
TAGS: OREP (DECONCINI, DENNIS), NU
SUBJECT: WRAP-UP OF VISIT OF CODEL DECONCINI
2. SUMMARY: SENATOR DENNIS DECONCINI (D-AZ); MRS. SUSAN
DECONCINI; MR. ROBERT FEIDLER, CHIEF COUNSEL, CONSTITUTIONAL
SUBCOMMITTEE, JUDICIARY COMMITTEE; MR. ROBERT MAYNES,
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AND PRESS SECRETARY TO THE
SENATOR; AND LTC. WALTER J. WARM, ESCORT OFFICER, VISITED
NICARAGUA ON FEBRUARY 14 AND 15. THE SENATOR WAS ACCOMPANIED
BY JOURNALISTS JOHN KOLBE OF THE PHOENIX GAZETTE AND
JONATHAN FREEDMAN OF THE SAN DIEGO TRIBUNE. DURING THE
VISIT, THE SENATOR MET WITH VARIOUS PRIVATE SECTOR AND
CHURCH LEADERS, THE INDEPENDENT HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
AND NICARAGUAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. (END SUMMARY)
3. SENATOR DENNIS DECONCINI AND MRS. DECONCINI ARRIVED
IN MANAGUA ON THE EVENING OF FEBRUARY 15 ACCOMPANIED BY
STAFF ASSISTANTS ROBERT MAYNES AND ROBERT FEIDLER, ESCORT
OFFICER WALTER J.HMARM, JOHN KOLBE FROM THE PHOENIX GAZETTE
AND JONATHAN FREEDMAN FROM THE SAN DIEGO TRIBUNE. THE
SENATOR AND HIS PARTY ATTENDED A DINNER THAT EVENING HOSTED
BY AMBASSADOR AND MRS. QUAINTON. THE DINNER WAS GIVEN TO
ALLOW THE SENATOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUAINT HIMSELF WITH
THE VIEWS OF SEVERAL CONTADORA AMBASSADORS (VENEZUELA,
COLOMBIA. MEXICO, GUATEMALA AND HONDURAS), THE ITALIAN
AMBASSADOR AND TWO UN OFFICIALS. AMBASSADOR OTTO REICH
ALSO ATTENDED THE DINNER.
4. THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 16, SENATOR AND MRS. DECONCINI
ATTENDED A PRIVATE BREAKFAST HOSTED BY AMBASSADOR QUAINTCN.
THE BREAKFAST WAS ALSO ATTENDED BY AMBASSADOR OTTO REICH
AS WELL AS ARCHBISHOP OBANDO Y BRAVO AND PEDRO JOAQUIN
CHAMORRO, EDITOR OF LA PRENSA. FOLLOWING THE BREAKFAST,
THE SENATOR AND HIS PARTY HAD A COUNTRY TEAM BRIEFING AT
THE EMBASSY. THEY WERE LATER JOINED BY ENRIQUE BOLANOS,
PRESIDENT OF COSEP, AND LUIS RIVAS LEIVA, PRESIDENT OF THE
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/25: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000801030005-5
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/25: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000801030005-5
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SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY(PSD).
5. AFTER THE COUNTRY TEAM MEETING, THE SENATOR AND HIS
PARTY RECEIVED A MILITARY BRIEFING FROM SANDINISTA ARMY
(EPS) SUBCOMANDANTE ROBERTO SANCHEZ. SANCHEZ WELCOMED
THE SENATOR ON THE BEHALF OF NICARAGUA AND STATED THAT
NICARAGUA ENCOURAGED VISITS OF U.S. CONGRESSMEN TO AID
IN MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING, AND SAID IT WAS A PITY THAT THE
U.S. WOULD NOT AS FREELY GIVE VISAS TO NICARAGUAN OFFICIALS
WHO WANTED TO VISIT THE U.S. THE SUBCOMANDANTE WENT ON TO
STATE THAT NICARGUA WAS A SMALL, POOR COUNTRY WHICH HAD
PAID A TERRIBLE PRICE IN LIVES TO OVERCOME SOMOZA. NOW
NICARAGUANS WERE FACING A SIMILAR TERRIBLE PROBLEM WITH
THE USG SUPPORTING THE SOMOCISTA GUERRILLAS BASED IN
HONDURAS. SANCHEZ THEN ASKED THE SENATOR WHY THE USG
DID NOT STOP THIS "AGGRESSION AGAINST THE INNOCENT PEOPLE
OF NICARAGUA." THE SENATOR AGREED THAT THERE WERE SERIOUS
PROBLEMS IN NICARAGUA AND THAT THE U.S. CONGRESS WOULD
PROBABLY BE WILLING TO DISCONTINUE SUPPORT TO COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY
OPERATIONS IN NICARAGUA IF THE GRN WOULD DISCONTINUE
ITS SUPPORT TO GUERRILLA FORCES IN EL SALVADOR. SANCHEZ
ADMITTED THAT HIS GOVERNMENT HAD SYMPATHY FOR THE GUERRILLAS
IN EL SALVADOR, BUT EMPHATICALLY DENIED THAT NICARAGUA WAS IN
ANY WAY SUPPORTED THEM. THE SENATOR ASKED WHY NICARAGUA WAS
SPENDING SO MUCH OF ITS MONEY ON AN EXCESSIVE MILITARY
BUILDUP, WHEN THE FUNDS COULD BE BETTER USED TO HELP ITS
PEOPLE, AND CITED THE TANKS AND ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS
NICARAGUA HAD PURCHASED. HE ALSO MENTIONED THE EXPANSION/
CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR MIG-CAPABLE AIRPORTS. SLBCOMANDANTE
SANCHEZ BLAMED THE U.S. AND HONDURAS FOR THE NECESSITY OF
A STRONG MILITARY IN NICARAGUA. HE STATED THAT THE GRN
PURCHASED TANKS BECAUSE HONDURAS HAD THEM, AND DENIED THAT
ANY AIRPORT WAS BEING BUILT OR MODIFIED TO HANDLE MIGS.
THE CLOSING MOMENTS OF THE MEETING WERE CENTERED AROUND
A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE COMPOSITION OF THE FDN COUNTER-
REVOLUTIONARY FORCES. SENATOR DECONCINI POINTED OUT
THAT HE HAD MET THE DIRECTORS OF THE FDN AND THEY HAD
ALL BEEN ANTI-SOMOZA DURING THE REVOLUTION. SANCHEZ
CLAIMED THAT EACH OF THEM WAS PRO-SOMOZA AND WAS TRYING
TO RETURN A SOMOZA TYPE OF GOVERNMENT TO POWER.
6. AFTER THE MILITARY BRIEFING, SENATOR DECONCINI MET
MISS MARTA PATRICIA BALTODANO OF THE INDEPENDENT HUMAN
RIGHTS COMMISSION (CPDH) FOR A BRIEFING ON THE HUMAN
RIGHTS SITUATION IN NICARAGUA. SHE STATED THAT MANY
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS HAD OCCURRED IN NICARAGUA SINCE
THE 1979 REVOLUTION. THESE INCLUDED MANY INCIDENTS OF
ARRESTS WITHOUT TRIAL UNDER THE EMERGENCY POWERS ACT.
THE CPOH HAD MANY EXAMPLES, SHE SAID , TO SHOW THAT THESE
EMERGENCY POWERS ENABLED THE NICARAGUAN GOVERNMENT TO
IMPRISON WHOMEVER THEY WANTED FOR POLITICAL REASONS.
PEOPLE ARRESTED DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO ANY LEGAL RECOURSE
AND COULD BE HELD INDEFINITELY. THE SENATOR WAS VERY
INTERESTED IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION'S FINDINGS
AND ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. THE SENATOR ALSO
ASKED HOW THE CPCH WAS ALLOWED TO REMAIN OPEN WHEN THEY
HAD SO MUCH DAMAGING INFORMATION ON THE GRN. MISS
BALTODANO REPLIED THAT THE CPDH OFFICES HAD BEEN CLOSED
SEVERAL TIMES, BUT SAID INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE HAD FORCED
THE GRN TO ALLOW CPDH TO REOPEN. WHEN THE SENATOR ASKED
HOW THE CPDH WAS ABLE TO FINANCE ITSELF UNDER THE CIRCUM-
STANCES, MISS BALTCDANO SAID THE MAJORITY OF CPDH FUNDING
CAME FROM THE NICARAGUAN PRIVATE SECTOR, WITH OCCASIONAL
DONATIONS FROM INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS.
7. THE REST OF THE DAY BEGINNING WITH LUNCH WAS HOSTED
BY THE GRN. THE GRN SCHEDULE INCLUDED MEETINGS WITH THE
ACTING FOREIGN MINISTER VICTOR TINOCO AND THE COUNCIL OF
CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/25: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000801030005-5
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/25: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000801030005-5
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STATE PRESIDENT COMANDANTE CARLOS NUNEZ, REPORTED REFTELS.
DURING THE GRN-HOSTED LUNCH, SENATOR DECONCINI MET WITH
FATHERS FERNANDO CARDENAL AND JAVIER GOROSTIAGA, JESUIT
PRIESTS, TO OBTAIN THEIR VIEWS AS PART OF THE POPULAR
CHURCH. ALSO ATTENDING WAS RAMON MENESES FROM THE FSLN
DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS(DRI).
8. WHILE WAITING FOR HIS DEPARTING FLIGHT AT THE AIRPORT,
SENATOR DECONCINI SAID HE WAS PLEASED WITH HIS VISIT AND
FELT HE HAD RECEIVED A BALANCED PICTURE OF THE SITUATION.
QUAINTON
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CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/25: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000801030005-5