' · i l· '· • r DEPARTMENT OF STATE Washin1ton O C 20520 8E C RE 'l' TO The Secretary The Deputy Secretary FROM HA - Patricia M Derian SUBJECT Next Steps in Argentina The increasing magnitude and brutality of Argentine human rights violations convince me that it is time for us to take additional measures to underscore our concerns and bring pressure to bear on the Junta to make improvements Only substantial pressure across a broad front is likely to have any real effect and there are a number of things we can and should do The situation is clearly deteriorating -- 38 bodies many of them without heads or hands were recently washed ashore on one of Argentina's Atlantic beaches A Buenos Aires newspaper which had investigated the report killed the story at the direction of the Presidential Press Office -- Our Embassy estimates that apout 55 disappearan c e's a month take place in Argentina The nternational Red Cross · representative in Buenos Aires recently c h aractetized the disappearances as - a calculated policy of the '- __ Argentine authorities -- For the past three weeks security forces have arrested and threatened to imprison mothers of the disappeared who have held weekly silent demonstrations in the capital's main square for the past two years This heavyhanded police intimidation follows by only a few weeks the soothing promise·s given the mothers by a Presidential Palace spokesman at Christmas -- An officer of· the Argentine Permanent Assembly for Human Rights told our Embassy in December that security forces simply murdered a couple in their own home without bothering to take them to a detention center The same source said he had received other recent reports of such killings il l9RE'I' ROS-4 Ql 26 94 DERIAN Patricia M S3 tH Jll't 11fMOli'fi 3i lol lV 03 1 '100lld3l I - 2 - -- We continue to receive numerous highly credible reports that torture is used routinely in the interrogation of detainees The electric icana something like a supercharged cattle prod is still apparently a favorite tool as is the nsubmarine ·treatment inunersion of the head in a tub of water urine excrement blood or a combination of these • -- Prison treatment of the 3 200 acknowledged political detainees has deteriorated sharply in recent months according to the International Red Cross representative in Argentina Torture beatings and dietary neglect are common for them and for the unacknowledged detainees held i'n secret military facilities Another source reported that fifty female detainees recently transferred between prisons have not been exposed to the sun for so long that their skin color is greenish •• Some have lost their eyesight Many are mentally deranged These development·s illustrate the rea ons why I believe we should at a minimum take these actions Vote No on all IFI loans to Argehtina which do not clearly meet the basic human needs criteria and at least invite other donor countries to take similar action Switch from Yes to Abstain on IFI loans which meet the basic human needs criteria -- Instruct our Delegate to the UN Human Rights Conunissi on to make a strong statement condemning Argentin human rights violations -- Begin to deny commercial licenses ·of mi litaryrelated equipment destined to ·the Argentine Armed Forces as we now do with equipment for the police -- Deny or delay Export-Import Bank financing for new projects in Argentina If necessary we should seek a Presidential determination under the Chaffee Amendment that denial would advance U s human rights objectives SEl0REl'i SBC RE'i' - 3 - -- Mount major new diplomatic effort to persuade foreign arms suppliers to stop selling military and police equipment to Argentina -- Give careful consideration to suspending or halting entirely the pipeline of u s - origin military equipment purchased by Argentina under earlier programs -- In connection with and explanation of the above measures issue a strong public statement condemning the continuing deterioration of Argentine human rights practices · We simply have to begin to take measures like these if we expect to see any meaningful improvements There is no longer any 'doubt that Argentina has the worst human rights record in South America We cannot wait for the Inter-American Human Rights Commission visit at the end of May While we hope that Argentine Government preparations for the visit and the visit itself will result in some improvements we should not rely exclusively on this event A high-ranking Foreign Ministry official recently said his government plans to stonewall the Commission on the disappearance issue ·l 1 We would not be alone in taking more forceful measures I understand that both Canada and the UK share the view that the situation is worsening Canada as a result has halted transfers--not just of arms--to the · Argentine military Both countries as well as some Scandinavian countries are seriously considering opposing IFI loans to Argentina • ·1 ' '' 3 f C Rf '%' @' 51§1§'7 - §'CI 1_ 6 - 1 - ige - _ € _ € _ _ quzeb 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