Page 228 - Argentina - Carter, Regan, and Bush VP

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188 **♦♦♦**■€-0-N F I D B •' WI T I A L**.****^ COPT

OP IMMED
PE RUESBA #8154 2841615
0 101603Z OCT 80
EM AMEMBASST BUENOS AIRES

TO SECSTATE VASHPC 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 4I1IS 8154

.EXDIS »
DEPT. PLEASE REPEAT USCINSCO FOR INTAFF
HAS HAD SINCE 1946—PXRONISM AND ANH-PE10NISM. STATING
THAT HE WAS CHOOSING HIS WORDS WITH GREAT CARE BECAUSE
THE SUBJECT IS A PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE ONE, VIOLA SAID
THAT THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT EVEN TODAT PSRONISM IS A
MAJORITT. PERONIST SENTIMENT RUNS DEEP AND STRONG IN
ARGENTINA. BUT PSRONISM 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
CRATIC PURPOSES. HAVING RAISED THE ISSUE, HOWEVER,
'VIOLA DID NOT OFFER A CLEAR SOLUTION. HE SUGGESTED THAT
ON THE ONE HAND IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO CREATE AN
ALTERNATIVE" WHICH WOULD APPEAL TO SOME SECTORS OF PSRON­
ISM. HE ALSO SAID THAT EFFECTIVE LEGISLATION ON PARTY
ORGANIZATION COULD HELP SHAPE PSRONISM TO DEMOCRACY. IN
DISUC5SING THE POLITICAL FUTURE, VIOLA SEEMED TO DISMISS
THE POSSIBILITY OF FORMING AN OFFICIAL PARTY FOR EVENTUAL
ELECTIONS. AT LEAST .-THAT APPEARS TO BE THE IMPORT OF HIS-
REMARK THAT IT WAS-'"TOO LATE" TO FOLLOW THE POLITICAL
1 PATH TAKEN BY THE BRAZILIAN MILITARY IN. STRUCTURING THAT**
COUNTRY'S PARTY LIFE. VIOLA SAID THAT "IF ¥5 WERE GO-
'ING TO DO WHAT THE'BRAZILIANS DID, WE SHOULD HAVE -
STARTED FIVES YEARS- AGO'.
6. IN RESPONSE TO A .QUESTION, VIOLA fc£AB0RATED ON THE

PSN:004090 PAGE 01 TOR:284/17:11Z DTG:101603Z OCT 80

No Objection To Declassification in Full 2013/02/04 : NLC-24-91-4-1-9