Page 161 - Argentina - Carter, Regan, and Bush VP

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
WASHINGTON, O.C. 20506

CONFIDENT! ATT

MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION

DATE: Monday, March 7, 1977

PLACE: Organization of American States
Washington, D. C.

PARTICIPANTS: Secretary General Alejandro Orfila
L. Ronald Scheman, Sub-Secretary for
Management
John Ford, Special Assistant to the
Secretary General
Robert A. Pastor, NSC Staff

U.S. Policy on Human Rights

Secretary General Orfila told me that he had recently returned from a
trip to the Southern Cone countries of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay,
and he explained to them that they were dealing with a new kind of
Administration in Washington. He told them that the Carter Administration
would unquestionably demonstrate a concern for human rights that was
not evident in the previous Republican Administrations. And Orfila
warned them that they had better be prepared for this change. All
three governments were rather slow to adjust, but they have come to
understand its importance.

Uruguay, however, does not quite understand why the U.S. currently
attacks it for human rights violations while several years ago it encouraged
the Uruguayans to suppress all forms of subversion. They are parti­
cularly confused because the human rights situation in their country has
definitely improved in the last year.

In Argentina, there is a fascinating debate between the moderates and
the hard-liners, and the question which Orfila feels we should address
is: how can we strengthen the hands of the moderates? not, how do
we drive the Argentine Government to the wall? He believes that we
should be careful not to put the government on the defensive least we
strengthen the hard-liners . The result would be even worse violations
of human rights .

declassified
. GON FI DENTI Air E.0.13526

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