PAGE 01 GUATEM 09163 01' OF 03 0617102 ACTION INFO OCT-00 COPY-OIADS-OO NSCE-OO SSO-00 027w 305270 0617332 43 061659Z DEC 82 FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2347 FI I A SECTION 01 OF 03 GUATEMALA 09163 FOR ASST SEC ENDERS E O 12356 DECL 12 6 88 TAGS OVIP REAGAN RONALD W GT US SUBJECT DRAFT MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION-BILATERAL BETWEEN PRESIDENT REAGAN AND THE PRESIDENT OF GUATEMALA GENERAL EF RAIN RIOS MONTT 1 - ENTIRE TEXT 2 DRAFT MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION - BILATERAL MEETING BETWEEN PRESIDENT REAGAN AND - THE PRESIDENT OF GUATEMALA GENERAL EFRAIN RIOS MONTT PLACE ARMANDO ESCALON AIR FORCE BASE - SAN PEDRO SULA HONDURAS 3 TIME 5 30 P M DECEMBER 4 1982 5-33 3 PRESIDENT REAGAN OPENED THE MEETING BY WELCOMING PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT AND EXPRESSING HIS PLEASURE THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD BEEN WILLING TO COME OVER TO Egg HONDURAS TO MEET WITH HIM THE PRESIDENT CONTINUED 3 A THAT THE US WANTED TO HELP GUATEMALA HE THEN SAID THAT THE UNITED STATES WOULD LIKE TO SEE 3 GUATEMALA IN THE CENTRAL AMERICAN DEMOCRATIC 3 COMMUNITY IN THE CENTRAL AMERICAN CONTEXTDane PAGE 02 GUATEM 09163 01 OF 03 0617102 HE HOPED THAT THE BELIZE ISSUE WOULD BE SETTLED SOON 2 PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT THEN LAUNCHED INTO A HALF HOUR MONOLOGUE IN WHICH HE MADE HIS USUAL POINTS ABOUT IQQIEIFII 0M - 3153 UJBIASSJHED THE MULTI-RACIAL COMPOSITION OF GUATEMALA AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INDIAN POPULATION WHICH WAS VARIOUSLY ESTIMATED AT BETWEEN 60 AND 70 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION RIOS MONTT HAD A SERIES OF CHARTS WHICH WERE OVERLAYS OF A BASIC MAP OF GUATEMALA SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION GEOGRAPI-IICALLY OF THE MAJOR ETHNICAL GROUPS AND THE MAJOR INSURGENT AREAS LARGELY COTERMINOUS PRESIDENT REAGAN SAID THAT THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AREAS ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST WHERE THE AREAS WERE LADIN OS OR NON- INDIANS LIVED 3 PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT NEXT EXPLAINED THAT THE '3 GUATEMALAN GOVERNMENT HAD ESTABLISHED CIVIL DEFENSE FORCES TO HELP COUNTER THE INSURGENTS THERE WERE SOME 300 000 PERSONS SO ORGANIZED THEY HOWEVER LACKED WEAPONS HE NEEDED M-l RIFLES AND CARBINES AS WELL AS HE HOPED THAT THESE ITEMS COULD BE GIVEN TO GUATEMALA FROM US SURPLUS STOCKS THESE ITEMS WERE NO LONGER IN US ARMY INVENTORY HE ASSERTED HE WAS NOT ASKING FOR ANY SOPHISTICATED WEAPONS JUST THESE FEW ITEMS 4 ALSO TO ASSIST THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE AREA RIOS MONTT REQUESTED THE US TO DONATE PRE- FABRICATED BUILDINGS AND BAILEY BRIDGES HE DID NOT SPECIFICALLY ASK FOR LOANS OR GRANTS BUT HE ASKED THAT THE USG ASSIST GUATEMALA IN 1 PAGE 03 GUATEM 09163 01 OF 03- 0617102 NEGOTIATIONS TO OBTAIN LOANS HE WAS NOT VERY CLEAR ON THIS POINT BUT HE IMPLIED THAT THE LOANS WOULD COME FROM INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND PRIVATE BANKS PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT CONTINUED THAT THE IMF KNEW POTENTIAL AND THE IMPLICATION WAS THAT THE IMF WOULD RESPOND MONTT THEN SAID THAT GUATEMALA WAS DRAFTING a A NEW PETROLEUM LAW WHICH WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO FOREIGN COMPANIES AND WOULD SOON BE IN FORCE HE WAS NOT VERY SPECIFIC ON THIS POINT 5 PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT THEN SHIFTED TO THE BELIZE ISSUE HE PRODUCED ANOTHER OVERLAY OF THE GUATEMALAN MAP SHOWING TERRITORIAL DESIRES WITH RESPECT TO BELIZE THE AREA DESIRED WAS AS FAR NORTH AS THE MONKEY RIVER AND UP ITS TRIBUTARIES TO THE WEST AND FROM THE HEADWATERS OF THE RIO BLADEN WEST TO THE PRESENT BORDER RIOS MONTT REFERRED TO THE PRESENT BORDER AS THE LINE RECOGNIZED BY GREAT BRITAIN HE REITERATED THE POINT THAT GUATEMALA WANTED TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE UK BUT HE CONCEDED THAT BELIZE REPRESENTATIVES WERE PRESENT IN THE DISCUSSIONS WHICH HAD BEEN HELD IN NEW YORK AND WHICH HE MAINTAINED WERE STILL IN PROGRESS RIOS MONTT RETURNED TO AN EARLIER MAP OVERLAY AND SHOWED THAT THE AREA BEING SOUGHT BY GUATEMALA WAS COTERMINOUS WITH THE AREA OCCUPIED BY KEKCHI IN PRESENT DAY BELIZE PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT THEN WAVED SOME PRINTED SHEETS WHICH HE ASSERTED WERE COMMUNIST PUBLICATIONS CIRCULATING PAGE 01 GUATEM 09163 02 OF 03 0617122 ACTION ARA-16 INFO OCT-00 COPY-01 ADS-00 830-00 027 305316 0617332 43 0 0616592 DEC 82 FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2348 SECTION 02 0F 03 GUATEMALA 09163 IN BELIZE HE MADE THE POINT THAT BELIZE WAS A FACILE CONDUIT FOR COMMUNIST INFLUENCE HE THEN WENT ON TO DESCRIBE THE MEXICAN ROLE IN SUPPLYING THE GUERRILLAS ACROSS THE EXTENSIVE HIEIASSIHED A i 1 cr'w 4 - 11111113811111 BORDER HE ASSERTED THAT MEXICO WAS BEING USED AS A REST AREA AND A PLACE FOR TRAINING AND INDOCTRINATION OF GUERRILLAS HE ASSERTED THAT THERE WERE NO REFUGEES IN MEXICO BUT PERSONS AFFILIATED WITH THE GUERRILLAS RIOS FINAL POINT WITH REGARD TO BELIZE WAS A GENERALIZED STATEMENT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCESS TO THE SEA AND TO THE CARIBBEAN HE REFERRED TO THE FACT THAT GUATEMALA WAS PRESENTLY HEMMED IN BETWEEN BELIZE AND HONDURAS AND ONLY HAD ACCESS THROUGH THE BAHIA AMATIQUE ONLY WITH THE PROPOSED ADDITIONAL COAST LINE COULD GUATEMALA PARTICIPATE IN THE CBI RIOS MONTT SAID BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT COASTLINE GUATEMALA REALLY DID NOT FRONT ON THE CARIBBEAN 6 RIOS MONTT WAS THEN PROMPTED TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC PROBLEMS HE SAID THAT THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM OF GUATEMALA WAS REALLY PART OF A WORLDWIDE PROBLEM HE ASKED THAT PRESIDENT REAGAN LIFT THE TRAVEL ADVISORY WITH REGARD TO US CITIZENS PEEIDENT RIOS MONTT SAID THERE WAS PAGE 02 GUATEM 09163 02 OF 03 0617122 ONLY A LIMITED AREA IN THE CENTRAL PART OF GUATEMALA IN WHICH THERE WAS ANY DANGER IN REGARD TO TRAVEL HE WOULD GUARANTEE THE SAFETY OF ALL U S CITIZENS IN THE AREA RIOS MONTT THEN MENTIONED THAT THE IMF WAS SENDING A DELEGATION IN JANUARY TO CONDUCT NEW 7 PROMPTED BY HIS SECRETARY FRANCISCO BIANCHI PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT THEN LAUNCHED INTO A DISCUSSION OF THE GUARANTEES FOR A RETURN TO CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT HE SAID THAT HE WOULD PROMULGATE THREE ELECTORAL LAWS ON MARCH 23 1983 AS HE HAD PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED HE THEN SAID IN A RUSH THAT HE COULD GUARANTEE THAT ELECTIONS FOR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY WOULD BE HELD BEFORE THE END OF 1983 BUT SEE BELOW RIOS MONTT SAID THAT THIS PROCESS WAS THE-BASIS FOR GETTING THE ARMY OUT OF GOVERNMENT THE ARMY WISHED TO RETURN TO ITS TRADITIONAL ROLE AND HAD NO DESIRE TO STAY IN GOVERNMENT HE PERSONALLY WAS NOT INTERESTED IN STAYING IN POWER - 111113113 8 AGAIN PROMPTED PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT REFERRED TO THE BEANS AND RIFLES PROGRAM OR FRIJOLES FUSILES PROGRAM HE EXPLAINED THAT THE ARMY WAS SEEKING TO FEED CIVILIANS WHO RALLIED TO THE SIDE AND THAT THOUSANDS HAD COME OVER THE GOVERNMENT WAS USING INTERNATIONAL AID THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTION IT TO CARRY THIS OUT HE ASSERTED THAT THE GUATEMALAN GOVERNMENT HAD EFFECTIVE CONTROL OVER THE DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH AID AND COULD AVOID ITS MISUSE HE ASKED PAGE 03 GUATEM 09163 02 OF 03 0617122 FOR ADDITIONAL UNSPECIFIED HELP FOR THE BEANS AND RFILES PROGRAM 9 AGAIN PROMPTED WITH REGARD TO HUMAN RIGHTS PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT DENIED THE ALLEGATIONS BEING MADE ABOUT GUATEMALA BY HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AND IN VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL FORA HE SAID THAT 21 GUERRILLA HAD BEEN CAPTURED IN THE LAST 20 DAYS AND AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GUATEMALAN AUTHORITIES THESE WERE ASSERTED TO BE READY TO GO BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITIES TO BRING THE TRUE GOSPEL HE POINTEDLY ASSERTED THAT THESE COMMANDANTES WOULD NOT BE SHOT PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT THEN REFERRED TO TWO EMPLOYEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN CARLOS MEDICAL SCHOOL WHO HAD BEEN ARRESTED AND WERE SUBJECT TO PROSECUTION AS COMMUNIST AGENTS RIOS MONTT IN CONCLUSION ASKED FOR AN UNSPECIFIED AMOUNT OF MONEY TO COUNTER FALSE COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA AROUND THE WORLD WHEN RIOS MONTT CONCLUDED HIS MONOLOGUE PRESIDENT REAGAN SAID THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD CERTAINLY GIVEN HIM A LOT TO THINK ABOUT AND HE WOULD TAKE THE POINTS AND THE DOCUMENTATION HOME AND STUDY THEM HE THEN ASKED ABOUT THE REFUGEE CAMPS IN MEXICO AND WONDERED WHETHER PRESIDENT DE LA MADRID MIGHT BE HELPFUL PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT RESPONDED INITIALLY THAT UIBMSSIHID PAGE 01 GUATEM 09163 03 OF 03 0617132 ACTION ARA-16 INFO OCT-00 COPY-01 ADS-00 NSCE-OO 880-00 027 305333 0617342 43 0 0616592 DEC 82 FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2349 03 OF 03 GUATEMALA 09163 HE THOUGHT IT UNLIKELY AS DE LA MADRID HAD ALREADY INVITED SOME COMMUNISTS TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS THE GUATEMALAN FOREIGN MINISTER SOUGHT TO CLARIFY THIS RATHER CONFUSED STATEMENT AND I PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT ENDED BY SAYING THAT PERHAPS PRESIDENT DE LA MADRID COULD BE HELPFUL HE WOULD LIKE TO GO TO MEXICO TO EXPLAIN GUATEMALAN REALITIES TO THE NEW MEXICAN PRESIDENT AND GENERALLY WOUND UP ACCEPTING PRESIDENT SUGGESTION awn-cat 4- - 2 I 1 51 2 11 PRESIDENT REAGAN THEN ASKED SECRETARY SCHULTZ WHETHER HE HAD ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS SECRETARY SCHULTZ ASKED PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT FOR A CLARIFICATION OF HIS EARLIER STATEMENTS ABOUT A RETURN TO CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT AT THIS PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT BACKED AWAY FROM THE CLEAR COMMITMENT TO HOLD ELECTIONS FOR A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY IN 1983 AND REFERRED MORE GENERALLY TO THE START OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS FOLLOWING THE PROMULGATION OF THE ELECTORAL LAWS ON MARCH 23 1933 - up sec - 111 try 3'3 E i - 12 DURING THE MEETING PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT GAVE PRESIDENT REAGAN AND OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS DELEGATION AN EXTENSIVE FOLDER ENTITLED GOBIERNO TIENE EL COMPROMISO DE PAGE 02 GUATEM 09163 03 OF 03 0617132 THIS GOVERNMENT HAS AN OBLIGATION TO CHANGE CONTAINING A MESSAGE BY PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT TO INTERNATIONAL PRESS B GENERAL EXPOSITION C TRUTH AND JUSTICE D BEANS AND RIFLES E ECONOMIC PLAN F THE LAST ACTIONS G DOCUMENT TRANSLATION H THE FOUR IMPORTANT SPEECHES OF THE PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT AND I GENERAL RIOS CURRICULUM VITAE l3 AFTER A FEW CONCLUDING COMMENTS THE TWO PRESIDENTS THE SECRETARY AND THE GUATEMALAN FOREIGN MINISTER LEFT TO MEET WITH THE PRESS IN ANOTHER BUILDING CHAPIN 1 w v v f A atr-i 5E3 - I This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu