DEAR COLLEAGUE:

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88B00443R001804410016-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 14, 2011
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: February 24, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

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January 22, 1986
Dear Colleague:
I wanted you to have a copy of a letter I am sending
to President Reagai urging him not to seek lethal military
aid for the contra/forces fighting to overthrow the
government bL_.Ahcaragua, and asking him instead to back eight
major Latin American friends and allies that are seeking a
diplomatic solution to this conflict.
So that you will have the opportunity to study the
eight-nation "Caraballeda statement" for yourself, I attach a
copy for your reference.
Sincerely,
Michael D. Barnes
Chairman
Subcommittee on Western
Hemisphere Affairs
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January 22, 1986
Dear Mr. President:
Recent reports indicate that the Administration is planning to
ask Congress to renew lethal military aid to the contra forces
fighting to overthrow the government of Nicaragua, and to
increase the level of support to as much as $100 million.
This would be a particularly bad time for the United States to
increase the level of conflict in Central America. Earlier this
month, eight major Latin American democracies, comprising the
Contadora Group and the Contadora Support Group, met in
Caraballeda, Venezuela, and issued a statement calling for a
Latin American solution to the Central American conflict. In
order to enable them to achieve a solution, these eight major
U.S. allies specifically called for the 'termination of external
support to the irregular forces operating in the region'--a
clear reference to the need for the United States to drop its
support for the contras. On January 14, under the leadership of
Guatemala's newly-elected President, Vinicio Cerezo, the five
Central American Foreign Ministers met in Guatemala and endorsed
the Caraballeda document.
These actions have breathed fresh life into the Contadora
process. For the United States to renew lethal military aid to
the contras at this time would be a direct slap in the face to
the Latin American leaders who are trying to resolve this
conflict.
The record is clear. After four years of trying, the
Administration has achieved none of the objectives it. has sought
to accomplish through its support for the contras. The contras
show no sign of being able to pose a serious military threat to
the Sandinistas. They show no sign of being able to force the
Sandinistas to make political concessions or to negotiate a
power-sharing arrangement with them. They show no sign of
purging their leadership of Somocistas, or of ending their
practices of murder, kidnapping, torture, forced recruitment, or
attacks on nonmilitary targets.
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The President
Page Two
January 22, 1986
I respectfully suggest, Mr. President, that this policy can lead
to no positive outcome for our country. Either we will
eventually have to abandon the contras and suffer a major
foreign policy setback, or we will have to move to direct U.S.
military involvement. Providing lethal military aid for the
contras would lead us one step further toward that dead-end
choice.
It would be particularly inappropriate for the Administration to
propose to increase funding for this futile, destructive war
when we are cutting economic aid for all the constructive things
that we should be doing in this hemisphere--not to mention
important domestic programs. With the $100 million that the
Administration proposes to spend on this effort, we could
continue to fund development programs that are necessary to the
survival of our democratic friends and allies in the region.
I urge you to reject the military approach, and to back the
democracies of Latin America in trying to achieve a diplomatic
solution to this conflict.
Sincerely,
Michael
Chairman
Subcommittee on Western
Hemisphere Affairs
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The Ministers of Foreign Relations of the Contadora Group and the
Group of Support to Contadora, who met in Caraballeda on January 11
and 12, 1986, express hereby that owing to the growing threats to
peace in Central America and because of the possible risk of cessation
of diplomatic action which would exacerbate tensions in the region,
it has become urgent and necessary to encourage with renewed vigor
the negotiation process fostered by the Contadora Group. This nego-
tiation process must result in the prompt signing of Contadora's Act
for Peace and Cooperation, considered as the only means of having
an instrument of general political understanding which would allow'
the respectful, peaceful, and productive coexistence of all countries
in the region. The Ministers have confirmed that,after 36 months of
negotiations, there are still attitudes and situations making difficult
a general and comprehensive agreement necessary to.overcome the climat
of hostility, and put a stop to the arms race, foreign intervention,
and policies of violence. Consequently, and in order to recover the
necessary climate of trust to ensure the respect of the political wil:
of the parties in the signing of Contadora's Act for Peace and Co-
operation in Central America, the Ministers are planning to
a) define the permanent bases for peace in Central America
b) r pecify the necessary actions to ensure the observance of these
c) to immediately carry out the diplomatic actions required to obtain
the explicit acceptance of the bases and actions by all parties,
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b:ltt`thCT involved directly or indirectly,
cl) to offer its mediation in any other actions to be undertaken.
e) to carry out relevant tasks in expediting the signing and putting
into effect of Contadora's Act for Peace and Cooperation in
Central America.
1,- -Peace -in-Central -America
Any permanent. solution to the Central American conflict must have
fair and balanced bases, which will express traditional values and
the desire of the Latin American peoples for civilized coexistence.
It is for this reason that the Ministers of the Contadora Group and
of the Group of Support have determined the following permanent bases
for Peace in Central America:
1.- A Latin_American_Solution: meaning that the solution to the
Latin American problems must come from, and receive the support
of, the region itself, so that it will not be included in the,
East-west world strategic conflict.
2.- Self _Determination: meaning the independence of each of the
Latin American countries to determine its own form of social
and political organization, establishing at a domestic level
the type of government which is freely chosen by the entire
population.
3.- Nonintervention_in_the-Internal Affairs of other States:
which means that no country will be able to influence, directly
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fituatio: :f the Latin J.c.er:can sti s, cr. in any way affect
their sovere. gnty.__
A.- Te rritorial_Integrity: meaning the recognition of ranges
of action for each of the countries, within which each country
can exercise its sovereignty and outside which the country must
observe a strict compliance with the norms of international law.
5.- Pluralistic-Democracy: meaning the right to universal suf-
frage by free and periodical elections, supervised by independei
national organizations: a multiparty system that will allow the
legal and organized representation of all kinds of political
action and thought. A government of the majority, ensuring the
basic liberties and rights of all citizens and the respect of
all political minorities according to the society's constitu-
tional order.
6.- Non_presence of weapons or militaKy bases which present
a threat to peace and security.
7.- No_undertaking_2 military_actions by the countries in the
region or with ties in the region, which may present a threat
for the region and its peace.
8.- Non presence-of _foreign_troops_or_advisers
-- -- ----- - ---- --- -
9.- N2_221 iticalt_logisticl or military_support to any group
intending to subvert or destabilize the constitutional order
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of any Latin American state through force or terrorist acts of
any kind.
10.--tibservante o 'buman_rig'bts: meaning the unrestricted aelense
of civil, political and religious liberties, thus ensuring the
complete material and spiritual fulfillment of all citizens.
2.- Actions _to_Ensure-the _Observance rvance-of -the -Permanent -Bases -for -Peace
In order to effectively obtain the permanent bases for peace, it is
necessary to.create a climate of mutual trust, which will rebuild the
spirit of negotiation and translate political will into the actual
support of the bases established in order to reach the final objective
of the signing and making effective Contadora's Act for Peace and
Cooperation in Central America.
For this purpose, it will be necessary to make the following actions
a priority:
1.- To renew and conclude the negotiations leading to the sign-
ing of Contadora's Act for Peace and Cooperation in Central
America..
2.- Termination of external support to the irregular forces
operating in the region.
3.- Termination of support to insurrectionist movements in all
countries of the region.
4.- Freezing of the purchase of weapons and their organized
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s.- %pvnsion of international military maneuvers.
6.--Progressive reduction, towards total elimination, of the
-pr.sei ce_,of .Loreiga military advisors and foreign ailitary 4asta1--
lations in the area.
7.- Coru:itment by the five Cenral hnterican countries, through
unilateral statements, to avoid aggression.
8.- Effective steps towards obtaining national reconciliation,
and the total observance of human rights and individual liberties
9.- To promote regional and international cooperation, so as to
ameliorate the pressing economic and social problems which afflic
the Central American region.
The ministers are agreed in the opinion that, in order to attain the
proposed objective,. and to create mutual trust, it is indispensable th
these initiatives be taken simultaneously.
3.- Suaport_to_thePermanent Bases for Peace and_Specific Actions.
The Contadora Group countries agree to initiate, with the necessary
collaboration from the Group of Support, immediate diplomatic actions
directed to obtain explicit support for these bases and actions from
the five Central American countries and other members of the inter-
national community (particularly the rest of the American continent)
interested in achieving peace in the region.
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!-,edi at ion.
..e mcr..ber countries of tr a _on tador a G: oc , With the
---asuiztantr-of the Group of Support, offer their mediation for the
purpose of facilitating the development of the following actions.
1. - ?o prrnnote new actions of national -eet nei livtit n, -sett ic-
ing to the current legal framework of each of the countries,
since regional stability also implies the need for internal
peace in those countries who have expcriencea deei social
divisions.
2.- To accept the proposal of the President Elect of Guatemala
to initiate a process of consultations among the Central lkmericai
legislative bodies regarding conditions in the Region, so as to
create a regional parliament. This could contribute to a better
understanding of problems in the area and to strengthen efforts
towards negotiation.
3.- To encourage the re-establishment of conversations between
the Goverments of the United STates and Nicaragua, in order to
settle their differences and to identify possible forms of
agreement. A respectful negotiation, which will take into accoui
the need for mutual and equitable concessions, is the condition
necessary to reduce regional tension.
The dialogue of Manzanillo served to identify the requirements for a
feasible negotiation which should not be further delayed to avoid
presenting a grave risk to Latin America's peace and stability. The
obstacles which have stood in the way of this dialogue can be lifted
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