Page 201 - Argentina - Carter, Regan, and Bush VP

No Objection To Declassification in Full 2013/02/04 : NLC-24-91-4-1-9
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188 ****»»*c o n n i n i i i»*»***»£ copy

OP IMMED
DE RUESBA #8154 2841615
0 101603Z OCT 80
FM AMEMBASST BUENOS AIRES

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7696
,THE WHITE HOUSE IMMEDIATE

■INFO AMEMBASST ASUNCION 5232 !
AMEMBASST BRASILIA 4324
AMEMBASST CARACAS 4612
AMEMBASST LA PAZ 4069
AMEMBASST LIMA 3719
AMEMBASST MONTEVIDEO 6801
AMEMBASST SANTIAGO 4967

CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 2 OF 2 BUENOS AIRES 8154

EIDIS
DEPT. PLEASE REPEAT USCINSCO FOR INTAFF
HAS HAD SINCE 1946—PERONISM AND ANTI-PERONISM. STATING
THAT HE WAS CHOOSING HIS WORDS WITH GREAT CARE BECAUSE
THE SUBJECT IS A PARTICULARLT SENSITIVE ONE, VIOLA SAID
THAT THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT EVEN TODAT PERONISM IS A
MAJORITT. PERONIST SENTIMENT RUNS DEEP AND STRONG. IN
ARGENTINA. BUT PERONISM HAD BEEN CONSTRUCTED AROUND A
LEADER AND LACKED A WELL DEFINED IDEOLOGICAL BASS; THE
MOVEMENT NOW NO LONGER HAD SUCH LEADERSHIP. THE PROBLEM
FOR THE MILITARY WAS HOW TO SHAPE THIS FORCE TO DEMO-
1CRATIC PURPOSES. HAVING RAISED THE ISSUE, HOWEVER,
'VIOLA DID NOT OFFER A CLEAR SOLUTION. HE SUGGESTED THAT -\-q l
'ON THE ONE HAND IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO CREATE "AN
ALTERNATIVE" WHICH WOULD APPEAL TO SOME SECTORS OF PERON­ A v
-
ISM. HE ALSO SAID THAT EFFECTIVE LEGISLATION ON PARTY t.
ORGANIZATION COULD HELP SHAPE PERONISM TO DEMOCRACY. IN 3V l- cV l \
DISUCSSING THE POLITICAL FUTURE, VIOLA SEEMED TO DISMISS : ^
THE POSSIBILITY OF FORMING AN OFFICIAL PARTY FOR EVENTUAL e i \
ELECTIONS. AT LEAST THAT APPEARS TO BE THE IMPORT OF HIS f i 13526 f u
REMARK THAT IT WAS’"TOO LATE" TO FOLLOW THE POLITICAL -v s s a
PATH TAKEN BY THE BRAZILIAN MILITARY IN STRUCTURING THAT1- l E.Q. N A L Data
COUNTRY'S PARTY LIFE. VIOLA SAID THAT "IF WE WERE GO­ cC .
ING TO DO WHAT THE BRAZILIANS DID, WE SHOULD HAVE U
STARTED FIVES YEARS AGO.
Aiii'nnrity
6. IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION, VIOLA ELABORATED ON THE NARA__f^g____

PSN:004090 PAGE 01 TORs284/£7:11Z BTG:101603Z OCT 80

No Objection To Declassification in Full" 20T3/62/04 : NLC-24-91-4-1-9

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