CODEL RICHARDSON CONVERSATION WITH SECETARY SEPULVEDA ON CONTADORA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP00M00244R000500110020-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 18, 2011
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: December 8, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

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TOR: 09011OZ DEC 84
00 RUEAIIB
ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH
STU2380
00 RUEHC RUEHLL
DE RUEHME #1629/01 3431758
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
0 081755Z DEC 84
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4473
INFO RUEHLL/CONTADORA COLLECTIVE
RUEHPE/AMEMSASSY LIMA 1215
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1300
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0921
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 1383
RUESUA/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 0225
RUESNA/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0680
BT
C 0 N F I D E N T I A L MEXICO 21629
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL, MX, X
SUBJECT: CODEL RICHARDSON CONVERSATION WITH SECRETARY
- SEPULVEDA ON CONTADORA
1. SUMMARY: IN MEETING WITH SOME FIREWORKS. COOEL
RICHARDSON EXPLAINED TO FOREIGN SECRETARY
SEPULVEDA THE REALITY OF GROWING AMERICAN DISILLUSIONMENT
WITH SANDANISTAS. SEPULVEDA PUT HIS FOOT IN IT WHEN HE
COMPARED US POLICY IN CENTRAL AMERICA TO SOVIET POLICY IN
AFGHANISTAN AND BROUGHT OUT FOR ALL TO SEE THE MISCON-
CEPTIONS WHICH SOMETIME GUIDE MEXICAN FOREIGN POLICY IN
CENTRAL AMERICA. CODEL RESPONDED STRONGLY AND MEXICANS
TOOK CAREFUL NOTE OF CONGRESSMEN'S REMARKS. DESPITE
THIS EXCHANGE, MEETING WAS CORDIAL THROUGHOUT WITH
SEPULVEDA, IN RESPONSE TO CODEL QUESTIONS. PROVIDING
INTERESTING INSIGHTS INTO CURRENT MEXICAN ATTITUDES AND
STATE OF PLAY OF CONTADORA NEGOTIATIONS. THE FOREIGN
SECRETARY STRESSED NEED FOR CONTINUANCE OF MANZANILLO
DIALOGUE AND SAID THAT NICARAGUANS NEED TO BE TOLD THAT
BOTH SIDES MUST MAKE CONCESSIONS; THAT GRN AND PERHAPS
GUATEMALA AS WELL. FIND THE TEGUCIGALPA PROPOSALS FOR
REVISION OF THE ACTA DRAFT INADMISSIBLE. BUT THAT
CONTADORA WAS WORKING TO FIND COMMON GROUND AND TO
BRIDGE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ACTA AND TEGUCIGALPA
DOCUMENTS. END SUMMARY.
2. CODEL RICHARDSON WAS ACCOMPANIED TO FOREIGN
MINISTRY FOR MEETING WITH FOREIGN SECRETARY BY CHARGE
NIO/LA
INCOMING
E~ECUtiYe Registr
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BUSBY AND DEPUTY P01 COUNSELOR. IN ATTENDANCE ON MEXICAN
SIDE WERE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR BILATERAL AFFAIRS
IGNACIO VILLASENOR AND DIRECTOR OF OFFICE FOR NORTH
AMERICA ROBERTA LAJOUS. MEETING OPENED WITH QUESTION FROM
CONGRESSMAN LANTOS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF POLITICAL
PLURALISM IN NICARAGUA. SEPULVEDA RESPONDED THAT THE
PRINCIPLES OF NON-INTERVENTION AND DEMOCRATIC PLURALISM GO
HAND-IN-HAND. HE SAID MEXICO WISHES TO-SEE A PLURALISTIC
SYSTEM DEVELOP IN NICARAGUA AND HAS TOLD NICARAGUA SO.
MEXICO. HOWEVER. CAN ONLY ADVISE. MEXICO ADVOCATES A
FREE POLITICAL SYSTEM, FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND A MIXED
ECONOMIC SYSTEM IN ALL COUNTRIES. HOWEVER, THE LACK OF A
DEMOCRATIC TRADITION IN NICARAGUA HAS BEEN A LIMITING
FACTOR. SEPULVEDA STRESSED THAT DEMOCRACY CANNOT BE
IMPOSED ARTIFICIALLY FROM OUTSIDE. IF CONTADORA CAN
SUCCEED IN ELIMINATING THE CLIMATE OF TENSION IN CENTRAL
AMERICA. THEN FAVORABLE CONDITIONS WILL BE CREATED FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY.
3. CONGRESSMAN RICHARDSON ASKED WHY THE CONTADORA PROCESS
APPEARS TO BE STALLED AND WHAT MEMBERS OF THE CODEL COULD
DO TO HELP GET THINGS MOVING. SEPULVE6A REPLIED WITH A
LONG RECITATION OF THE NEGOTIATIONS FROM THE MEXICAN POINT
OF VIEW CULMINATING IN THE OBSERVATION THAT PRESIDENTS 1'
DUARTE AND MONGE HAD MADE PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN EARLY SEPTEM-
BER OF THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SIGN THE REVISED ACTA AND THAT'
THE GOM HAD RECEIVED TELEXES TO THE SANE EFFECT FROM
HONDURAS AND GUATEMALA. SHORTLY THEREAFTER OBJECTIONS WERE
RAISED IN PUBLIC PRONOUNCEMENTS BY US OFFICIALS AND THE
HONDURANS, SALVADORANS, AND COSTA RI THEN BEGAN TO
RAISE OBJECTIONS. THEY PRESENTED RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE
ACTA WHICH HAD NOT EXISTED EARLIER. S VEDA SAID. THE
SUBSEQUENT TEGUCIGALPA MEETING. HE WWr ON. PRODUCED
SUGGESTIONS, SOME OF WHICH COULD BE USEFUL IN IMPROVING
THE ACTH, BUT OTHERS WHICH WOULD UPSET THE COMMITMENTS
MADE EARLIER BETWEEN THE PARTIES. THEREBY DESTROYING THE
BALANCE OF THE TREATY. THE TEGUCIGALPA PROPOSALS WERE
INADMISSIBLE FOR NICARAGUA AND PROBABLY GUATEMALA TOO,
SEPULVEDA CONCLUDED.
4. SEPULVEDA SAID CONTADORA WAS NOW LOOKING FOR COMMON
GROUND BETWEEN THE TEGUCIGALPA SUGGESTIONS AND THE
NICARAGUAN POSITION, BUT THE TASK WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
TO REOPEN THE WHOLE PROCESS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND WOULD TAKE
TOO LONG. SEPULVEDA SAID HE ASKED SALVADORAN FOREIGN
MINISTER TENORIO IF EL SALVADOR WAS WILLING TO ACCEPT A
REDUCTION IN THE DOLS 200 MILLION IN US MILITARY AID
PROJECTED FOR 1985, AND SIMILAR QUESTIONS HAD TO BE POSED
TO NICARAGUA. NOTING THE GROWING SOPHISTICATION OF ARMS
BEING ACQUIRED BY NICARAGUA, SEPULVEDA ALSO UNDERLINED THE
IMPORTANCE OF LIMITING ARMS GROWTH QUALITATIVELY.
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL, MX, X
SUBJECT: CODEL RICHARDSON CONVERSATION WITH SECRETARY
5. CONGRESSMAN GARCIA STATED THAT MEXICO SHOULD UNDER-
STAND THAT SUPPORT FOR THE SANDANISTAS WAS WANING IN THE
UNITED STATES, AND HE INTENDED TO SAY THIS TO DANIEL
ORTEGA. HE SAID MODERATES LIKE HIMSELF WERE CAUGHT BETWEEN
THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION AND ORTEGA. AND THAT LITTLE
GROUND WAS BEING LEFT FOR COMPROMISE. HE ASKED WHAT THE
CODEL COULD DO TO HELP. IN PARTICULAR. WHAT COULD IT SAY
TO ORTEGA? SEPULVEDA SUGGESTED THAT THE CODEL STRESS TO
ORTEGA THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MANZANILLO TALKS AND THE
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NEED FOR BOTH SIDES TO MAKE CONCESSIONS. BOTH SIDES NEED
TO MAKE A RENEWED COMMITMENT TO THE TALKS. PROGRESS MADE
IN MANZANILLO REINFORCES CONTADORA AND VICE VERSA. CODEL
COULD ALSO HELP BY EXPLAINING US PUBLIC AND CONGRESSIONAL
ATTITUDES TO THE SANDANISTAS.
6. CONGRESSMAN LAFALCE ASKED WHAT WERE SOME OF THE
IMBALANCES THAT SEPULVEDA THOUGHT THE TEGUCIGALPA
PROPOSALS WOULD CREATE? THE CONGRESSMAN. OBSERVING THAT
HE HAD VOTED AGAINST COVERT AID TO THE CONTRAS. ALSO
NOTED THAT NOW THE DISILLUSIONMENT WITH THE SANDANISTAS
WAS MOUNTINGTO THE POINT WHERE THE CONGRESS MIGHT NOT
ONLY GRANT COVERT AID IT MIGHT GRANT OVERT AID.
SEPULVEDA REPLIED THAT THE TEGUCIGALPA DOCUMENT, WHILE
PURPORTING TO SATISFY THE PRINCIPLE OF SIMULTANEITY.
WAS REVERSING THE NATURAL ORDER OF IMPLEMENTATION OF A
PROPOSED AGREEMENT BY PUTTING OFF ALL MEASURES TO
WITHDRAW MILITARY ADVISORS, ELIMINATE BASES. END MILITARY
MANEUVERS. AND SO FORTH UNTIL AN AGREEMENT HAD BEEN
REACHED ON THE LEVEL OF MILITARY FORCES AND EQUIPMENT TO BE
PERMITTED IN EACH COUNTRY.
7. REVERTING TO THE THEME THAT IT IS NECESSARY FIRST TO
PUT AN END TO VIOLENCE AND REFERRING TO THE MORAL STRAIN
IN US FOREIGN POLICY. HE SAID THAT MEXICANS CANNOT ACCEPT
THAT MONEY WOULD BE APPROPRIATED BY ONE COUNTRY FOR THE
OVERTHROW OF ANOTHER GOVERNMENT. HE THEN COMPARED US
POLICY IN CENTRAL AMERICA WITH THE SOVIET INTERVENTION IN
AFGHANISTAN. THE COMPARISON WAS FOR THE MOST PART MADE
IN DIPLOMATIC TERMS AND CONCLUDED WITH THE OBSERVATION:
"HOW CAN WE NOT OPPOSE AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN CENTRAL
AMERICA?"
8. CONGRESSMAN LANTOS RESPONDED THAT THE ANALOGY WAS
IRRELEVANT. HE FIRST OBSERVED THAT THE US HAD TRIED TO
WORK WITH AND HELP THE SANDANISTAS. AND GAVE THEM SOME
SUPPORT. BUT THE SANDANISTAS HAD ABANDONED THEIR OWN
PRINCIPLES. HE SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT THE
UNITED STATES WAS NOT SEEKING DOMINATION OF NICARAGUA BUT
ONLY A MEASURE OF DEMOCRACY FOR ITS PE THE SOVIETS
WERE BRUTALLY MURDERING PEOPLE.THEY WERE BENT ON TURNING
AFGHANISTAN INTO A SATELLITE BUT THE US HAD NO SUCH
INTENTION WITH RESPECT TO NICARAGUA. CONGRESSMAN LANTOS
DWELT AT LENGTH ON THE IMPORTANCE OF VERIFICATION OF ANY
REGIONAL CENTRAL AMERICAN AGREEMENT. IMPLYING IT WAS THE
DESIRE FOR VERIFICATION NOT OBSTRUCTIONISM WHICH MOTIVATED
THE QUEST FOR A BETTER ACTA. HE SAID THAT AMERICAN PRESENCE
IN AND DERARTURE FROM EL SALVADOR WAS IMMEDIATELY
VERIFIABLE WHEREAS THE CUBAN PRESENCE IN NICARAGUA WAS
SECRETIVE AND NOT EASILY VERIFIABLE. HE CONCLUDED BY
SAYING THAT SANDANISTA SUPPORT IN THE US HAD ALMOST
VANISHED EXCEPT FOR THE FAR LEFT FRINGE.
9. CONGRESSMAN LA FALCE NOTED THAT THE FIVE CODEL
MEMBERS WERE ALL MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY IN THE
UNITED STATES, ALL LIBERALS, SUPPORTERS OF MR. MONDALE'S
CANDIDACY, AND ALL PREVIOUS CRITICS OF ADMINISTRATION
POLICY IN CENTRAL AMERICA. HE REINFORCED MANY OF LANTO'S
POINTS, CONDEMNED THE DRIFT TOWARDS TOTALITARIANISM IN
NICARAGUA. HE NOTED THAT THERE WERE 55 AMERICAN MILITARY
ADVISORS IN EL SALVADOR WHEREAS THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF
CUBANS IN NICARAGUA, AND OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND SOVIET
TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN. HE CONCLUDED THAT IF THE REMARKS
HE HAD HEARD FROM MEXICO COMPARING US POLICY IN CENTRAL
AMERICA TO SOVIET INTERVENTION IN AFGHANISTAN CHARACTER-I
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E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL, MX, X
SUBJECT: CODEL RICHARDSON CONVERSATION WITH SECRETARY
IZE THE PERSPECTIVE THAT EXISTS WITHIN CONTADORA, HE HAS
SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT THE VIABILITY OF THE CONTADORA
PROCESS. ......
10. SEPULVEDA TRIED TO DUCK BY EXPLAINING THAT HE WAS
REFERRING TO POSSIBLE FUTURE AMERICAN INTERVENTION AND
NOT TO THE SITUATION AS IT NOW EXISTED WHEN HE MADE HIS
COMPARISON. BUT HIS REJOINDER WAS A LAME ONE. ALL THREE
MEXICANS PRESENT WERE SURPRISED BY THE VEHEMENCE OF THE
CODEL'S REACTION AND ALL REALIZED SEPULVEDA HAD MADE A
MISTAKE. THEY TOOK CAREFUL NOTE OF THE CODEL'S REMARKS.
BUSBY
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CONFIDENTIAL
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