Page 276 - Argentina - Carter, Regan, and Bush VP

No Objection To Declassification in -ull 2013/02/04 NLC-24-69-1-4-4
Weekly Report - March ir, ivn
* J

Reporting Items (Pastor)

Human Rights

Guatemala and £1 Salvador have followed the path blazed by Brazil,
Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile in renouncing U.S . foreign military
assistance because of the way in which aid was tied to human rights.
Peru's Prime Minister also said that a country's (i.e., the U.S .) policy
on human rights should not interfere in the internal affairs of another
country.

Chile has also tried to spread rumors of an impending conference
among military regimes to coordinate a response to the U.S., but her
efforts have been resisted, particularly by Argentina, because (I think)
the governments are waiting for additional indications of the direction
of U.S. policy.

Panama

Our initial strategy to hold the question of the termination date of a
treaty in suspension while we explore Panama's position on neutrality
and post-treaty defense arrangements has apparently failed. The
President's reference on March 6 to the year 2000 as the date after
which we will be concerned with the Canal's neutrality was.taken by
the Panamanians as an indication that the only issue worth focusing
on is neutrality, and we have been thrown on the defensive.

Torrijos was ill this past week, but yesterday told an Italian newspaper
that he wanted the United Nations to control the waterway. Unless he
accepts a special role for the U.S. within this guarantee-system, we
are back to the beginning.
t
Negotiations promise to be difficult in the months ahead unless we can
convice Perez and Lopez MichelBen to get Torrijos to accept our require­
ments on neutrality.

Cuba

A Presidential Directive was sent out on Cuba on March 15 directing
the State Department to begin direct and confidential talkB with Cuban
officials . Such direct talks began on March 10 in New York to Bet a
time, place, and agenda for talks.

DECLASSIFIED
E.0.13S26 .
Authority
MARA £Jr nwta l\°\V\to--------

t