ALLEGED RIFT AMONG ARGENTINE JUNTA MEMBERS - 1978/01/27

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06628538
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: January 27, 1978

Approved for Release: 2018/10/02 C06628538
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ITEM NO: :2'
DATE: 27 JAN, 78
SUBJECT: ALLEGED RIFT AMONG ARGENTINE JUNTA MEMBERS
ACCORDING TO TOY'S WASHINGTON POST, THE ACTIONS OF DISSIDENT
JUNTA MEMBER ADMIRAL MASSERA, WHO JS THE COMMANDER OF THE ARGENTINE
NAVY, ARE CREATING SERIOUS TENSIONS WITHIN THE THREE-MAN MILITARY
JUNTA THAT HAS GOVERED :SINCE MARCH, 1974, THE ARTICLE IS GROSSLY
OVERSTATED AD MISLEADINCIN 4 *MBER-0:AREAS.Y
ACCORDING TO THE STORY, AD1IRAL MkSSXRA IS INCREASINGLY PRONE TO
EXPRESS HIS UNHAPPINESS WITH THE, POLICIES OF PRESIDENT VIDELA, WHO IS
ALSO COMMANDER OF THE ARGENTINE ARMY, THE MOST POWERFUL AND INFLU-
,ENTIAL OF ';,THE MILITARY .SERVICES, MOREOVER, MASSERA IS SAID TO HAVE
CLAIMED THAT HE WOULD HALT HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IF ALLOWED TO REPLACE
VIDELA IN THE PRESIDENCY. BOTH ISSUES NEED TO BE UNDERSTOOD IN CON-
TEXT.V
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TO BEGIN WITH, MASSERA, ALMOST FROM 7tHE START, HAS MADE A HABIT
OF EXPRESSING 'DISSATISFACTION WITH VIDELA. HE DOES SO BECAUSE HE IS
AN UNABASHED OPPORTUNIST WHO CLEARLY HOPES TO UNDERMINE CONFIDENCE IN
THE PRESIDENT AND PROMOTE HIS OWN AMBITIONS. TO DATE, THIS PRACTICE
HAS GOTTEN IASSERA NOWHERE, ALTHOUGH HE IS, A CONSIDERABLE NUISANCE
TO VIDELA. :AT PRESENT, HOWEVER,. WE HAVE 0 OTHER INDICATIONS THAT
THERE IS A SER.IOUS SPLIT WITHIN. THE RULIN:a,JUNTA.- INDEED, DEVELOP-
MENTS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN GENERALLY FAVORABLE TO
VIDELA.Y
IN ADDITION, IH' IS NO REASON WHATEVER TO ACCEPT THE NOTION
THAT MASSERA SERIOUSLY ENTERTAINS MORE LIBERAL HUMAN RIGHTS VIEWS
THAN VIDELAi THE EVIDENCE IS TO THE CONTRARY. VIDELA HAS CONSISTENT-
LY FAVORED LESS REPRESSION AND MORE DIALOGUE AND HAS STEADILY FACED
OPPOSITION FROM MILITARY ADVOCATES, OF A ROUGHER LINE. MASSERA HIM-
SELF IS REPORTEDLY ONE OF THOSE SEEKING.TO.BLOCK LIBERALIZATION.Y
CLEARLY, IASSERA'S ALLEGED MACHINATIONS DO NOT, AS THE ARTICLE
SAYS, CONSTITUTE THE "FIRST VISIBLE CRACK IN THE IILITARY MONOLITH"
%THAT RULES ARGENTINA. .MOREOVER, !THERE'S, NOTHING TO SUGGEST' THAT THE
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OTHER JUNTA MEMBER, AIR FORCE CHIEF GENERAL-AGOSTI, IS ALSO ^PITTED^
AGAINST VIDELA. AGOSTI, WHOSE JUNTA ROLE AND INFLUENCE ARE MINIMAL,
HAS IN THE PAST REPORTEDLY SYMPATHIZED ,WITH SOME OF MASSERA'S COM-
PLAINTS, BUT WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE THAT HE IS ENCOURAGING MASSERA THIS
TIME.
FINALLY', IT SHOULD EE NOTED THAT THE AMBITIOUS MASSERA IS RUN-
NING OUT OF JIME IN wHICH TO INFLUENCE NATIONAL POLITICS. HE IS
SCHEDULED FOR MANDATORY RETIREMENT LATER THIS YEAR. WHEN HE LEAVES
ACTIVE DUTY HE WILL LeSE EVEN THE LIMITED ABILITY HE NOW HAS TO IN-
FLUENCE OTHER MILITA,RY
DECIDED TO cpT'As
PREROLATIVES, 'OF A
REF: PRESS. t2, IMP-DET.A
(MG:. SOO
AGAINST VIDELA. THUS, MASSERA MAY HAVE
WIDE A Si2ATH AS POS:16LE UHILE HE STILL RETAINS THE 3.5(c)
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