TELEGRAM FROM THE EMBASSY IN ARGENTINA TO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE JULY 27, 1977[SANITIZED] - 1977/07/27

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Keywords: 1977-1980
• Keywords: ARGENTINA
• Keywords: FRUS
• Keywords: SOUTH AMERICA
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06592922
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: July 27, 1977

Approved for Release: 2018/10/01 C06592922
Telegram From the Embassy in Argentina to the Department of State
Buenos Aires, July 27, 1977, 2151Z
5522
/4e6 91,4
1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D770269-0610.
Confidential; Priority; Limdis.
2. See footnote 2, Document XX NR
3. See footnote 3, Document XX
4. See footnote 2, Document XX
5. A far right-wing, anti-Semitic monthly magazine. (Telegram 3370 from Buenos Aires.
May 6, National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D770160-0389) (LOU)
6. Hector Hidalgo Sola disappeared July 18 in Buenos Aires. (Telegram 5341 from Buenos
Aires, July 19, National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File. D770257-0001)
(C)
7. In answer to a question about human rights during a public meeting in Yazoo City.
Mississippi on July 21, Carter said, "We have seen recently in Argentina 342 political
prisoners, who had been there for a long time, released." (Public. Pcipers: ('ariet., 1977.
Book II, p. 1324) NR
8. Todman traveled to Argentina in August. See Document XX
9. Presumably a reference to H.R. 5262, which Reuss introduced in the House on March 21.
The conference report was filed in the Senate on July 26, and Carter signed P.L. 95-118
into law on October 3.
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CONFIDENTIAL
LIMDIS
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 BUENOS 05522 272232Z
ACTION ARA-10
INFO OCT-01 SS-14 I50-00 DHA-02 NSC-05 NSCE-00 INR-05
CIAE-00 L-01 SP-02 TRSE-00 /040 W
102869 272249Z /73
P 272151Z JUL 77
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1518
CONFIDENTIALBUENOS AIRES 5522
LIMDIS
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: SHUM, PDIP, AR
SUBJECT: US INTEREST IN HUMAN RIGHTS IMPROVEMENTS
REF: (A) STATE 162292 (B) BUENOS AIRES 530
1. REF A INSTRUCTED THAT AN APPROACH BE MADE TO THE
GOA AT AN APPROPRIATELY SENIOR LEVEL TO NOTE THE USG
INTEREST IN RECENT GOA STEPS TO IMPROVE RESPECT FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS. THE INSTRUCTION ALSO PROVIDED THAT,
IF THE STEPS ANNOUNCED BY THE GOA AND REPORTED IN
B.A. 46361WERE REAL RATHER THAN COSMETIC, THE ARGENTINES
SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THE PRESIDENT'S INTEREST IN THESE
AND CONTINUING STEPS TOWARD THE RESTORATION OF THE
RULE OF LAW.
2. REF B CONCLUDED THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE A DETECTABLE
TREND TOWARD IMPROVEMENT IN RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, BUT
DID NOT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THE POINT OF WHETHER THE
GOA MEASURES CITED WERE REAL OR COSMETIC. AFTER
ATTEMPTS BY ALL ELEMENTS OF THE COUNTRY TEAM TO FOLLOW-UP
ON THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE MEASURES ANNOUNCED BY THE
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GOA ON JUNE 15, WE HAVE NOW CONCLUDED THAT THEY DO
HAVE SOME SUBSTANCE, BUT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN ENTIRELY
AT FACE VALUE. WE BELIEVE THAT SOME RESTRICTED FORM
OF THE RIGHT OF OPTION TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY WILL BE
FORMALLY REESTABLISHED (PERHAPS AS THE OPPORTUNITY
TO "PETITION" TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY AS NOW EXISTS IN
PRACTICE IF NOT IN LAW.) THE SUPPRESSION OF CABILD69WAS
NOT AS EXTENSIVE AS IT SEEMED, SINCE ONE OF THE TWO
SUPPRESSED EDITIONS HAD ALREADY BEEN DISTRIBUTED. WE HAVE
STILL BEEN UNABLE TO CONFIRM THE RELEASE OF ALL OF THE
342 PERSONS LISTED AS RELEASED BETWEEN MAY 27 AND JUNE
14. IT SEEMS LIKELY
THAT MANY OF THESE PERSONS WERE RELEASED. WE HAVE
CONFIRMED FOUR CASES ACTUALLY RELEASED AND ASSUME, AS HAS
OCCURRED WITH OTHER RELEASE LISTS, THAT MANY OF THOSE
LISTED AS NO LONGER BEING DETAINED UNDER EXECTUIVE
POWERS HAVE BEEN FORMALLY CHARGED WITH SOME CRIME. (THE
GOVERNMENT DID NOT PROVIDE A LIST OF PERSONS DETAINED
DURING THE PERIOD COVERED BY THE 342 RELEASES.)
3. IN THE APPROXIMATELY SIX WEEKS SINCE JUNE 14, THE
GOA HAS ISSUED THREE LISTS OF DETAINEES AND RELEASEES
UNDER THE EXECUTIVE POWER. THESE TOTAL 199 DETAINED AND
3.3(b)(1)
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77 RELEASED. SOME OF THOSE RELEASED ON THE JULY 23
LIST WERE SHOWN AS HAVING BEEN APPREHENDED ON THE
JULY 2 LIST. INQUIRIES OF THE PERMANENT ASSOCIATION
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, THE ICRC AND THE NUNCIATURA
ELICITED NIETHER REJECTION NOR CONFIRMATION OF THE
LISTS. THEY OBSERVED THAT MANY OF THE PERSONS
ON THE JUNE 14 LIST HAD BEEN IMPRISONED BY THE
PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT, AND THAT THERE WERE MANY NAMES ON
THE LIST FROM OUTSIDE BUENOS AIRES. THE LISTS OF
APPARENT RELEASES SINCE JUNE 15 DO NOT SHOW ANY
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PARTICULAR TREND. THE LACK OF A CLEAR POSITIVE TREND ON
PRISONER RELEASES, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HIDALGO SOLWAND
THE HARASSMENT OF LABOR LEADERS COMBINE TO ARGUE AGAINST
A CLOSE ASSOCIATION OF PRESIDENT CARTER WITH ANY
SPECIFIC FAVORABLE DEVELOPMENT.
4. THE ECONOMY MINISTER, MARTINEZ DE HOZ, WAS THE
OBVIOUS HIGH-LEVEL CHANNEL FOR EXPRESSION OF
USG INTEREST. IN A MEETING WITH HIM ON JULY 22 THE
CHARGE EXPRESSED OUR CONTINUING DEEP INTEREST IN
STEPS TOWARD RESTORATION OF RULE OF LAW AND OUR
INTEREST IN KNOWING ANY FURTHER DETAILS
RELATING TO THE STEPS ANNOUNCED JUNE 15. THE
MINISTER SAID HE WAS NOT IN A POSITION TO GO INTO DETAILS
ABOUT NUMBERS OR NAMES. BUT THAT HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE
PROCEDURES ANNOUNCED ON JUNE 15 WERE GOING FORWARD.
WHEN PRESSED FOR DETAILS, THE MINISTER SAID THE MATTER
WAS OUTSIDE HIS AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY AND INDICATED THAT
HE DID NOT WISH TO BECOME INVOLVED IN SPECIFICS.
CHARGE NOTED THAT THE USG WAS PREPARED TO GIVE RECOGNITION
TO FAVORABLE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS AREA,
AS WAS DONE BY OUR DIRECTOR AT THE WORLD BANK, AND.
WE HOPE THAT THE MINISTER MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US
WITH MORE SUCH INSTANCES. AS A FURTHER EVIDENCE
OF OUR INTEREST AND WILLINGNESS TO RECOGNIZE FAVORABLE
DEVELOPMENTS, CHARGE PROVIDED MINISTER WITH TELETYPE
COPY OF PRESIDENT'S REMARKS AT YAZOO CITY WHICH
MENTIONED RELEASES OR ARGENTINE PRISONERgrMARTINEZ DE
HOZ APPEARED INTERESTED BUT LIMITED HIS COMMENTS TO
OBSERVING THAT IN ARGENTINA THOSE DETAINED ARE NOT
CALLED POLITICAL PRISONERS.
5. THOUGH MARTINEZ-DE HOZ WAS UNWILLING TO DEAL IN
SPECIFICS, HE DID EXPAND ON THE NEED TO IMPROVE THE
DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES AND DO MORE IN THE
HUMAN RIGHTS FIELD WHICH WOULD FURTHER THAT END.
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HE SAID HE HOPED TO HAVE SOMETHING SUITABLE FOR
ANNOUNCEMENT PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF ASSISTANT
SECRETARY TODMARNHE THOUGHT SOMETHING SPECIFIC ON
THE RIGHT OF OPTION MIGHT BE READY SHORTLY, BUT WAS
UNSURE. HE THEN CHANGED THE SUBJECT TO ASK FOR
CLARIFICATION OF A PUZZLING CABLE HE HAD RECEIVED FROM
THE ARGENTINE EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON REGARDING THE
GN
STATUS OF THE REUSS AMENDMENT TO THE BILL PROVIDING
FUNDINGFOR .1�11�Misp.4010100.1.11M.11POSIIMaiM
6. ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS EMBASSY OFFICERS HAVE
RAISED WITH AN OFFICIAL OF THE PRESIDENCY THE DEEP)
US INTEREST IN FURTHER SPECIFIC STEPS TOWARD THE RULE
OF LAW. THESE EXPLORATORY OBSERVATIONS WERE MET WITH
LITTLE MORE THAN POLITE INTEREST.
Ag
a =.
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7. COMMENT: THE ARGENTINE RESPONSE IN THESE INSTANCES
IS NOT PARTICULARLY ENCOURAGING. THE TACTIC OF
EXPRESSING INTEREST IN HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES DID NOT
ELICIT POSITIVE RESPONSES, FOR THIS IS AN AREA WHERE
FEW WISH TO TAKE THE BLAME OR SHARE CREDIT.
CHAPLIN
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