PANAMANIAN PRESIDENT SPEAKS TO FRESHMAN U.S. CONGRESSMEN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000201140101-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 101
• Publication Date: December 29, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/30: CIA-RDP90-00806R000201140101-1
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
29 December 1984
PANAM, ,NIAN PRESIDENT SPEAKS TO FRESHMAN U.S. CONGRESSMEN
BY JOSE DIAZ-BALART
MIAMI
Panamanian President Nicolas Ardito Barletta told freshman U.S. congressmen
Saturday that it is in the United States' strategic interest to increase
financial assistance to its Latin American neighbors.
'There is an opportunity because of the present cycles in Latin American.
societies to strengthen the democratic process,'' Barletta said 2t .a news
conference. ''That could best be done by meeting the economic challenges. It is
in the mutual interest of the United States and Latin America to explore those
areas of (economic) cooperation.''
There have been several events which have undermined efforts in Latin America
to stabilize their economies, Barletta said.
''It has been difficult for Latin American countries to adjust themselves to
the new ecoromic realities around the world,'' he said. ''The world economic
recession increased the area's social problems because it increased
unemployment.''
Barletta emphasized the importance of helping Latin American economies out of
their slump.
''It is important to maintain social peace in the area. This can be helped by
supporting financial cooperation between the United States and Latin America,''
Barletta said. "There is only a limit to which you can squeeze people and
maintain democracy.''
_ Barletta was in Miami to take part in a workshop designed to provide freshmen
congressmen with the opportunity to discuss issues concerning Latin America. The
congressmen will be able to discuss issues with the likes of Barletta, former
CIA Director William Colby, U.S. House Forelan Affairs Chairman Dante Fasc l
and Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Paula Hawkins.
Also in attendance was Arturo Cruz, a Nicaraguan former political leader and
Seigfried Marks, the chief economist for Latin America for a multinational
corporation.
Some freshmen congressmen at the workshop said they attended because Latin
America would.be an area much discussed in Congress in the coming years.
''I'm getting a thorough overview of the history, background and some of the
important policies concerning the area,'' said Albert G. Bustamante, D-Texas,
''It is key for us to understand as much as we can about Latin America and how,
perhaps, we can formulate some policies to stimulate the area's economies and
perhaps help bring about some real stability."
''I hope to hear diverse views on the political, economic and social issues
confronting Latin America and the United States,." said Fred J. Eckert, R-N.Y.
''Latin American affairs are currently prominent issues in Congress, and they
will continue being prominent over the next few years."
The workshops were led by Ambler Moss, dean of the University of Miami
Graduate School of International Studies, and Mark Rosenberg, director of
Florida International University's Latin American and Caribbean Center.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/30: CIA-RDP90-00806R000201140101-1